


There's Always a Little Left to Lose

by Caliginous_Confused



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Dishonored AU, Gabirel is the Outsider, Hanzo is technically dead, M/M, Past Character Death, Reaper76 Big Bang, ambiguous death, but like also not, mild body horror, that isn't like super obvious until the end, that may or may not be dream sex, there is some implied dream sex, there is something happening in the void, written for the r76 big bang
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2018-09-22
Packaged: 2019-06-27 00:54:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 24,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15674739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caliginous_Confused/pseuds/Caliginous_Confused
Summary: After taking the job to kill the Emperor, Jack has hit a rut of depression with the Outsider at the center of it. The city of Dunwall was falling slowly but surely. Ana wasn't going to just standby and let her best friend lower and lower into that depression so she decided to see what she could find out. That lead them to Serkonos which lead them to the Void itself.Don't really need to know Dishonored to understand what's going on. I tried to explain as I went.





	1. Chapter 1

Jack was sitting on the rafters deep within the old Chamber of Commerce building of the Flooded District. He was resting his elbow on his knee, looking out and tilted his head as he looked over what he could of the city. The air was stuffy even while outside. The rats were getting out of hand. They were already out of hand.

He sat for a second before he pulled off his visor and pulled off his left glove, putting it on the rafter next to him as he looked at the back of his hand. The half circular rune, mark really, that stained his hand stared back at him as it pulsed with powers waiting to be used.

Everything seemed to have gotten worse after he got involved in politics. The rats increased in number, and the plague spread a lot quicker. Bodies, and people so sick they were basically walking corpses outnumbered the healthy individuals by a large margin. Rats heavily outnumbered the people which only served to accelerate the spread of devastation, and death.

He closed his fist loosely and closed his eyes for a second. Once he opened his eyes the mark on the back of his hand was glowing and burning slightly as he looked around the room. There were shapes seen through walls of chunks of whalebone that held power. The power he held in his hand could be expanded with these measly chunks of whalebone that shared the same symbol. The one who's mark was placed everywhere, gave him this power, but he also cut contact with him after his political debut.

He sighed as he relaxed his hand. The images that he saw faded as he stood up, and simply jumped down from the rafters, walking to his desk and picked up a decorated piece of whalebone. He ran his hand over the surface, feeling the carvings on the bone that were very similar to the mark on his hand.

“What happened?” he whispered quietly. “You said at one point that it was a good idea, and then you…disappeared. What weren't you telling me?” He put the rune down and walked away from his desk toward a window. The last rays of sunlight were hitting his face, the source was both from the actual sun and was reflected from the still water under him. “And then there is the Royal Protector…what are you playing at?”

He should have stopped once the feeling he had toward the job felt different. Maybe they wouldn’t be in this predicament. Maybe the Empire of the Isles would have an Emperor – Dunwall would have an Emperor. Maybe the person who gave him the mark would be talking to him again.

Maybe the city itself wouldn't be dying by some plague brought on by rats that stowed away on a ship. Emperor or no, the way things were looking, Dunwall wouldn't be a kingdom that needed an Emperor, there would be no kingdom.

Instead, because of his hand, Dunwall doesn’t have a leader. Instead, he was a part of some coup. A simple pawn in something that he was still trying to decide if it was a good idea or not. His gut was telling him no, and the interference of the one who gave him the mark to contend with.

Jack didn’t know what the person who gave him the power to have this decision would say, and he couldn’t ask. He didn’t exactly give him a mailing address or any way to contact him. Up until he was abruptly cut off, all of the contact was on _his_ terms. Now, it seemed he was alone with something to remember him by. He looked at the mark one last time before moving to pull the glove back on his hand.

“Yes Lena?” Jack asked out loud as a small hooded girl came jogging in, saluting him.

“We found the Royal Protector…well, the ex-Royal Protector sir!”

“Where?”

“Leaving the High Overseer’s Office. There’s a lot of Overseers over there, we might want to be careful. They're runnin' around like they're ants the lot.”

“Please do, follow him, and report back to me. Also, see if he has a mark.”

“Aye-aye!” With the order given, the girl disappeared.

First the Emperor was dead, and now…something was happening with the High Overseer. That was the only explanation if they were as active as Lena said they were. Not only that, but Petras was one of the men who hired him. Served him right with how close they’ve gotten to his hideout a few times in the past. They were against anything occult and being aligned with this god-like being that was him was more than enough occult happenings. If the Royal Protector was after Petras, it was only a matter of time before he was after him.

Jesse was back, that’s all that mattered. Jack is the one who went along with everything. He is the first piece of timber that caught of flame that started the bonfire that was Dunwall.

Jack moved to put his mask on and pulled his hood back on. There was something he was going to have to try to see if he could get in contact with **The Outsider**.

\---

Slow clapping accompanied with slow footsteps were heard behind the armed guard. Jesse went from watching the random bits and pieces of rock, simply floating through the air, to turning his head toward the source of the sound with a raised eyebrow. His hand intellectually went to his belt, wrapping around the handle of his sword.

“I gotta hand it to ya kid, you’re impressing me,” a man with dark eyes manifested from the shadows. They were billowing around him like a cape, as he finished slow clapping and simply crossed his arms. He had a few scars across his face, seemed very intimidating, but the way he spoke and held himself suggested that he battle more with the mind that. His skin was ashen; clearly, he was dead, or had been dying. Still, the feeling he had suggested that he was there to help him. “I am older than the rocks that this city is built on, and of all the things you could’ve done to the High Overseer, branding him a heretic, that gets some style points.” A smile broke out on his face as he moved to look out into the abyss.

“Takin’ care of Petras don’ solve nothin’ an’ you know it.” Jesse almost spat, his voice low. A gently touch on his cheek brought him out of his hatred toward the cryptic being he only knew as the Outsider.

 _“Jesse, calm down. We still need to find Genji first, and then we can go after Morrison.”_ A small blue dragon was sitting on his shoulder. If a reptile’s face could show concern, it would. _“I know these past few months have been hard, but there are steps we needs to take before we go forth. Morrison was but a piece of the dark cloud that has taken hold of Dunwall”_ Jesse inhaled and gave him a small nod.

“You’re right.”

“Ahh I see you like what I did to the Emperor. I found it fitting,” The Outsider smiled, smirked really. “I have already given you more than enough aid McCree. Powers only men can dream of. What you choose to, or not to do with them is your business. At this point I am merely an observer who decided to spice up life by giving you my mark.”

Jesse frowned and turned back toward the dragon on his shoulder. _“I feel as if speaking ill of him at this point wouldn’t help either of us.”_ Jesse’s shoulders fell as he turned to look at the man’s black eyes.

“Now what?”

The Outsider shrugged. “That’s for you to find out.”

The world around Jesse went dark for a second before he was standing in a candle lit room, a shrine with marks not unlike the new mark on his hand stood. He pulled back the sleeve of his jacket and unwrapped his hand from the dirty bandages he was using to hide the mark. Once he saw it, he paused and gently ran his fingertips over it. He knew people couldn’t see the celestial dragon he was trying so hard not to call Hanzo, but the Dragon’s mannerisms and way of speaking was so reminiscent of Hanzo Shimada made it easier said than done. Regardless, he didn’t want to try his luck with the one who gave him the tattoo-like mark on his skin. Bad enough he had the balls to go out with his face uncovered as a wanted criminal being framed for Hanzo’s death and all.

_“We should return to the Hound Pits Pub. They might have more information on how to get Genji back.”_

“Guess he’s in charge of all o’ this now…” Jesse said with a sigh and a small gesture toward the room around him, as he ran his hand through his hair. The dragon hummed as they started to leave the basement where the shrine was being kept. It was understood that the room was only a small space Genji was to rule over. He was destined to be the new Emperor, but first a few wrongs needed to be written.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The art in this chapter is provided by [ Maxkiki](https://maxkiki.tumblr.com/post/176961972781/my-two-pieces-for-the-reaper76bigbang-with-the) on Tumblr. Please go check them and the rest of their art out!! 
> 
> I didn't want to restrain the artists' interpretation on how Gabe should look, and I really love how it turned out and to see how everyone interpreted things. You'll see that tomorrow with Skeleyking's interpretation of Gabe if you haven't already.

Jack landed with a small grunt, dusting himself off as he pulled the hood off of his head. He ran his hand through his hair, dislodging any dirt that was in it as he approached the wooden shrine that stood in the middle of the room.

As he stepped into the dim light, the mark on the back of his hand grew slightly warm as he started raising his head toward the floating piece of whalebone that was carved with the same circular mark on the back of his left hand. The magic that pulsed from the charm was similar to that he had, but it was different. It felt more tied to the rats and walking corpses that he saw on his way here than the magic he held.

There’d been something going on with the charms and runes recently. It matched the things that were happening around Dunwall if he was being completely honest with himself. Jack had an ability to find them easily. They were essential to his power and the growth of it after all. Sometimes he’d pick it up and the energy that radiates off of it. He felt the energy coming from this rune, and like world around him it was darker, bleaker than they were before the Emperor had fell.

The Outsider, from what he knew wasn’t the most forthcoming individual. He was mysterious and seemed to not really care what happened at all, he mostly was there to see how humans were reacting to everything. These runes were tied to him, and it seemed that the outlook of Dunwall was as well. It seemed to fit due to how the area the Outsider lived - The Void - shared the same whale motif as the city. So, if there was darkness surrounding the runes, it was only natural that Jack assumed that something dark was surrounding the Outsider.

Now, even before Jack went out and killed the Emperor, he the Outsider had been acting weird. The messages that he would give Jack were just as cryptic as they'd always been, but the meaning behind them weren't simply guiding him to what he sought out. The messages that he was receiving from the Outsider were inconsistent. One moment he is simply guiding him to what he needed to know as he usually does, only giving Jack a name of someone who should be of interest to him but with no leads pointing him in that direction, the Outsider served to be that lead. Here recently, the messages have been more direct. The Outsider knew of Jack's deal to kill the Emperor, and at one point he supported the idea, only to say the night before everything went down that he was making a huge mistake.

The only way Jack was going to get answers for these messages, was to talk to the Outsider directly. That was easier said than done. The Outsider lived in a place simply known as the Void, and access to the Void was restricted to those who were tied to the Outsider, dead, or dreaming. Jack had one of three currently, but the Outsider had to let him in. He normally did once Jack found a rune on a shrine, and he finally hit the jackpot.

He hovered his hand around the rune and frowned before he grabbed hold of it. It felt off, dark. If anything, this gave him an indication of which version of the Outsider he was about to talk to. He almost didn’t want to take it off of the altar, but his need for an explanation to what was going on, or what he should do was more pressing. The question was, would the Outsider he spoke with be mysterious and vaguely helpful, or would he be straight forward and clearly be working for an agenda?

He felt a surge of power flow through his body as the dark energy of the rune impressed its powers onto him. He wasn't in a place that had a name or anything. It was simply an alley, made to not have anything remarkable about it. A single guard stood, simply standing there. A cloud of darkness collects over a single point and out of it, rats climbing over one another; a swarm. He watches as the swarm climb over one another rabid in their attempts to get to the nearest living body, their eyes matching those of the Outsider’s; pitch black. They devoured the closest human. The air stunk of rotting flesh, a signal of the rat plague that was tearing the city apart.

Jack gasped as he released the rune. It clattered to the ground and the marking on it went from a golden glow back to a dark ink-like carving. This power was brutal and heartless. It was completely unlike anything else the Outsider’s runes had given him. He was unsure whether it was because the Outsider himself was changing, or it was Void that was changing the Outsider. Either way, he knew he couldn't do anything where he was. He needed to talk to the Outsider and figure out what was going on.

Deciding he had nothing to lose, he picked up the rune once again, ignoring the push to show him it's power once again. “Alright you black-eyed bastard, I have some questions.”

The shrine seemed to rumble slightly at his call. Jack felt the air around him stop, a part of him felt like he was suffocating, but he was still breathing fine. There was a static charge in the air as well. Parts of the wooden shrine broke off and levitated in the air. The rune in his hand started pulsing with power as a tear in reality opened up before him, and quickly engulfed him in a blinding light.

“Oh? So, you finally want to talk for once,” Jack grumbled to himself as static seemed to make the hair on his arms and the back of his neck stand up. The room around him slowly disappeared. A crack of power ran through the area as all of the wood splintered off as if it was struck, broken into millions of pieces.

A dark cloud engulfed him, and out of habit he closed his eyes. Something with the transition between dimensions always unsettled Jack. His gut always told him that if he didn't close his eyes, he'd regret it. If there was one thing he learned in his years being an assassin, it was that following his gut was the best way to go.

A blast of cool sea air hit him, his signal to open his eyes. The air was just as suffocating as it was refreshing. It carried the smell of salt and felt like a cool coastal breeze trying to bring in the tide. This pale, black-eyed being who could turn into smoke seemed to rule the place. A part of him knew this statement to be false, but there was so much that was off about this place, he just let this be the one normal think he thought of when it came to the Void.

“Alright, you let me in here! Get your sorry ass down here!” Jack yelled. Normally his voice carried, it was loud and authoritative, but as he stood there in a realm that was all smoke-and-mirrors basically, it seemed deafened. It didn’t carry as far as he felt it should into the vast emptiness that surrounded him. It felt more like the sound was absorbed almost as quickly as he made it.

“But I am already here Jackie,” came a voice from behind. There was a clear smirk in his tone, and a slight growl that Jack didn’t recall being there before. Then again, it had been a while since the being of the Void had last spoken to him. Unlike his voice, this one carried. There was an odd reverb to it that only seemed to remind Jack of the power of this being.

Jack slowly turned around and resting on a stone slab that was slowly being taken over by vegetation and vines, laid a cloaked figure with his hood pulled up, laying on his back with his legs bent at the knee and crossed. He was playing with something in one of his hands, the one he wasn’t laying on, as he spoke.

“It has been an interesting six months hasn’t it? I told you once the Emperor fell, so too would his kingdom. You’re not having regrets now, are you?” The being turned his head toward him, his coal black eyes almost shining in mirth as he looked at him. Jack locked his jaw and raised his chin at him slightly in a show of dominance. This caused the being to chuckle. “If you really think you pose a threat to me here Jack, you have another thing coming. This has been my home for many years. You only have a taste of what the Void can provide. I am bound to it. Now, what has my attention is that you are here, holding a rune of mine, and looking at me with eyes as unforgiving as the ocean. Why?”

Jack held up the rune, letting the Outsider look at it. The action only caused the Outsider to raise his eyebrow at him. “If you are asking me what that is, it’s a rune Jack.”

“I know it’s a damn Rune. The energy coming off of it, what is it?”

“If I had to guess, mine. It bears my mark.” A smile spread across the Outsider’s face as he spoke.

Jack ran a hand down his face and sighed. He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a second rune. The energy coming off of this one was lighter, comforting almost. The rune reminded him of the Outsider he remembered, the Outsider that though was a pain to deal with because he spoke in riddles, he still was a pleasure to be around. He held wisdom and knew of experiences Jack could only dream of, and yet. Now they stood in the Void like two strangers.

“The energy of these two runes are different. I just found this one and it feels…I don’t know…darker.” The Outsider’s fell, his eyes widening as he pushed himself to a sitting position. Looking at both runes, he watched as the light mirthful look on the Outsider's face melt into a mask concealing what appeared to be worry. “Is this something I should be concerned about?”

“No, everything is as it should be. You are overreacting. The darkness you sense within the runes could merely be a byproduct of the past transgressions that have happened within the Empire. Perhaps when things return to a stable state the runes will…purify itself. There’s many ways this feeling can be explained. You have done many things within the walls of the city, and yet Jack, I have never seen you act the way you have after killing the Emperor.”

Jack turned away from the being and put the runes back within his jacket pocket. The Outsider stood up and crossed his arms. “Killing the Emperor…felt different.”

“And it was.”

With that another cloud engulfed him, leaving him standing in dim-lighted room where the shrine stood. What appeared to be a bundle of sticks that splintered off, now stood as whole as it was when he picked up the rune to begin with.

\---

“You had that dazed look in your eyes,” said a hooded figure hidden within the shadows of the room. Jack tensed and pulled out his pistol, aiming it at the source of the voice. She pushed herself off the wall and took a few steps toward Jack to step in the small window of moonlight within the room. As she moved, the assassin lowered his arm, and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Ana? How long have you been there?” he asked. Ana shrugged as she continued crossing the room, leaning against the window sill that overlooked the city. Jack stepped out from the Shrine and looked at her, trying to figure out her reasoning for being there.

“Long enough to know that you were talking to him again,” she smirked, chuckled a little at him and then turned to look at him over her shoulder. She pulled her hood off her head from her cloak and looked at him with the eye that wasn’t covered by an eyepatch with a look of concern. Her braid fell to the middle of her back and she continued to let her face grow a little softer. “You’ve been distant Jack, what’s going on?”

Jack sighed and walked to the window, she stepped aside as he rested his arms on the sill, looking out. He inhaled slowly and scanned the rooftops. “That last job I took. It shouldn't have mattered, it was just another noble person Ana. I've killed nobles before. You could float a whaling ship on the high-born blood I've spilled. Another noble steps in to replace the last one. All equally corrupt. The cycle will simply continue. Why should an Emperor be different? Somehow, he was. I watched his bodyguard's face as they took him away. Dead eyes. He’s looking for me, I know it. The Outsider’s talking to me again so that’s something, but…” he paused to shake his head once. “I think we’re done here Ana. This is our last job. I think McCree’s gonna have it out for me. The Outsider’s runes feel different, darker. Dunwall is dying to the plague, there is no stable ruler. The last rune I found showed me the power of killing using the rats to literally eat someone alive. None of this bodes well.”

His companion hummed and leaned against the wall next to him, nodding as she crossed her arms and ankles. “Any other time I would’ve teased you about how you feel about this Outsider, but…you’re serious. Let’s do this like a job, what concerns you more, McCree coming for you, or the Outsider?” Jack looked at her out of the corner of his eye, there was a reason she was his second, and it wasn’t just her skills.

“The Outsider. He has the option to make this…more interesting. If he has an interest on how this situation then he might give someone else this mark. He doesn’t hide that he can do that.”

“And with his runes being…darker you’re worried he’ll give this mark to the wrong person?” Jack paused.

He didn’t know what to think.

He wanted to say that he would, but the Outsider wasn’t easily read. He clearly didn’t care about the politics of Dunwall, and instead was simply sitting back and watching a show, causing ripples where he thought there should be. How could someone with all that power not have an agenda? It seemed foreign to him. He was truly neutral.

Do those people truly exist?

“I don’t know.”

“Then why are you concerned?” Ana had her eyebrows raised as she asked him, turning to look at him.

“I don’t know. Call it a gut feeling.” Ana went stone faced.

“We’ve done more for less, come-on.”

“What are we doing?”

“Back to the Flooded District, unless you plan on planning your plan of attack at the shine of the being who you have the weird vibes about. You do your thinking, I’ll go do some digging.”

“What kind of digging?”

She merely shrugged.

He hated it when she had a plan and decided to not tell him. He also knew that it was pointless to try to dissuade her from attempting to do whatever she was planning on. Jack simply waved her off and jumped out the window.

A burning sensation almost was felt in his hand as he raised it up, seeing the ledge in front of him he focused more on the area around him, his decent stopping instantly. He held his breath and closed his eyes. He pictured how the area would look from the perspective from the roof.

When they opened, he was on a roof top, running.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The art in this chapter is by [ Skeleyking](http://skeleyking.tumblr.com/post/176963323499/heeeeeeyyyy-so-i-participated-in-the) Please go and check them out!! 
> 
> We rephrased a little of what Gabe said in this chapter to make it fit for the art, but it works so well.  
>  **CW:** There is some blood on the art.

_You sure have been making a name for yourself. How many are on your death list now, I wonder. Ten? Twenty? You will be holding a lot of power soon enough if you keep going the way you are. People will pay good money to see others just…disappear._

The words echoed though Jacks mind as if he had just heard them. He knew that it’d been years since he actually heard them. It was the start of this mess he had found himself in. He laid in his bed, staring at the ceiling trying to figure out when exactly everything went wrong, but for whatever reason he kept getting pulled back into the first conversation he had with the Outsider.  

“ _I am the Outsider, and this is my Mark. There are forces in the world and beyond the world, great forces that men call ‘magic’, and now these forces will serve your will. Use this newfound power, my gift to you,_ ” Jack muttered under his breath as he held his hand up in front of his face, studying the structure of the mark. His eyes traced every curve, every line that radiated from the middle dot.

_You’ve had a long hard life Jack and you aren’t too old. There have been far more who have done less with what time they have. You are going through the motions with your activities, you have no emotional attachments to your work. This is interesting. You simply do what you are good at for the means to survive. As you always had. You and your mother were quite the pair. It was almost touching to see the two of you torn apart when you were ripped from her poison bearing hands. You moved from Serkonos to Dunwall and took what you learned from your dear darling mother. You were already silent like a shadow. So, in my own interest to see what you’ll do, I give you this. Now, you have more tools at your disposal._

Things were so different back then. The Outsider seemed to be genuinely interested in what Jack was going to do with the power he was given. He sounded almost mirthful at the thought of Jack being able to use the abilities he had. The assurance of _“Wherever you may be, just find a Rune it will grant you more power and impress upon you my guidance toward what you seek_ ” echoes through his mind to this very moment laying in his bed waiting for whatever was to come, to happen.

_How you use what I have given you falls upon you, as it has to the others before you. And now, I return you to your world, but know that I will be watching with great interest._

And interest he had upon Jack.

There were two ways Jack knew to get in touch with the Outsider. The first was one he had just used. Find a shine with a rune and simply take it. From there, if the Outsider had anything to say he’d pull you into the void and there he would chat with him. Those were always the short visits. They served more to have the Outsider as a means of information. Somehow, he always knew what Jack needed. It would make sense as it seemed that he was keeping tabs on the assassin. It didn’t mean that it wasn’t unnerving. He wasn’t one to look at gift horse in the mouth, the Outsider’s intel, though cryptic, typically lead him to what he needed to know.

The dreams however, the dreams were where things got interesting in Jack’s eyes. The Outsider someone who seemed distant seemed less so during the night. The chats they had seemed less cloaked in mystery and the dramatics that Jack had quickly learn to attribute to the Outsider, and instead seemed to be on a more personal level. It was as if the being let his guard down for those few hours that they spent together. His curiosities shown through, he’d spend hours describing Jack’s life. The Outsider who was a distant observer seemed to hang onto every word he said, making comments on how interesting people were, or how his decision ultimately was the one he had to go forward with if he wanted to reach his goal. It was those times where he truly felt the Outsider was on his side, that he was working with Jack, not against him, or posing as another obstacle for him to figure out.

He was particularly curious on how Jack though. How he chose which contracts he would take, why he decided to make an assassin gang known as Overwatch, who was able to join and why he took the time to get to know each member and help them get through the beginnings on how to use their newfound powers.

“It’s been a while since you’ve taken a contract,” the Outsider had said randomly in one of their encounters. He was simply watching his hand fade away into smoke and watching it reform again. Jack shrugged and laid back on the floating piece of rock.

“I have one, we just have to get everyone together and ready,” he said simply like this was routine.

“Oh? Who is it this time I wonder?”

“I thought you knew everything,” Jack teased with a small chuckle.

“There’s a lot to watch, I can’t keep up with everything you know.”

“The Emperor.”

There was a heavy pause and what was normally a typical evening together simply chatting about the various experiences Jack had gone through since the previous time the two of them chatted changed completely. The general aura the Outsider gave completely changed and the slight ethereal aura he gave off intensified.

Jack sat up on his elbows. “Uh…Outsider?” he asked slowly.

“ ** _Get out._** ”

Jack moved to look at the Outsider’s eyes. The bottomless black pits somehow appeared distant. The steady stream of darkness around them froze in place. The air grew colder, more suffocating. Jack opened to ask what was going on, but he was then kicked out of the void.

The next day Emperor Hanzo Shimada was killed, and Jack wouldn’t hear from the Outsider for six months from that day.

The adrenaline high he normally got from killing wasn’t there. The look of utter disbelief morphing into rage, anger directed toward him from hands just as capable of taking a life as his had stilled him until Ana placed her hand on his shoulder, reminding him that they had to get out of there.

Jack ran, disappearing into the mist as he always did, but he felt wrong.

For the first time he felt sick at his own actions.

That night he heard from the Outsider. He didn’t see him, but his presence was felt. He wasn’t truly in the Void, but he wasn’t within the physical plane as well. The cold air he associated with the Void wasn’t almost suffocating him, nor was the air heavy with death. It was like he was simply floating.

_Ya know…I thought at one point you were going to be different Jack. Most people get power hungry with the mark and the gifts that it gives them, but you…simply carried on. It was as if you didn’t have the mark. You knew you had abilities and powers, but you stayed true to yourself, you took in those who you felt connected with, guided them and taught them how life is._

_You were different. Using your powers in part for personal gain, but mostly to help others that found themselves in a bad position._

_That is until the contract for the Emperor came. You took it without deliberation. You took it and didn’t hesitate._

_You took it because as an assassin this was the biggest showing of their power._

_You weren’t different at all Jack._

__

For some reason his words stung. It might’ve been the small hints of emotion that were heard and felt as he spoke to Jack, or the spatting of how he wasn’t different when he seemed impressed and happy at how different he was previously. It might’ve been the white-hot pain felt on the back of his hand, as if the mark itself was punishing him for what he did.

Maybe it was the fact that was the last time he heard the Outsider’s voice. Even his dreams, the ones that he was sure were purely constructed by his subconscious stopped. The nights he was able to give into his desires, his hidden attraction to the being made of cloak and daggers. They all stopped. It was jarring, and he realized just how much those dreams of pure ecstasy meant to him, how he needed those nights of pure bliss with him, even if it wasn’t real.

The one thing he did know for sure was that he wasn’t ashamed of the call-out itself, the names and accusations didn’t bother him. He wore the title “Knife of Dunwall” with pride. The complete cut-off of conversation from the Outsider and how it carried over into other aspects of his life is what struck a nerve. He wasn’t sure why it was bothering him, but that it was.

He picked up a rune that was emanating dark energy and hummed. This had even more pressing questions around it. He had found one or two around before the Outsider cut him off. He just assumed like other artifacts, they’d get corrupted. However, once they had their falling out they had become more common than the ones he was familiar with.

He would look at this later, he had other things to worry about. The Outsider might be angry with him, but he wouldn’t kill him.

Jesse McCree was after him. He was going to pay for the Emperor’s life with his own blood. He was as good as dead if Jesse found him. He recognized the look in the man’s eyes. The pain and betrayal. He’s seen it many times before, only McCree was one of the few who had the skills and know-how on how to extract this revenge.

Many assassins had tried to take Jack Morrison down, but only Jesse McCree in his opinion had a chance to even get close to him. Finding him was his first challenge. After that, Jack would fight, but he wouldn’t fight hard.

Jack had to be ready to accept the cool embrace of death.

He couldn’t until he knew what was going on with the Outsider.


	4. Chapter 4

Ana looked down from the cover of a shadow overlooking the streets of Dunwall. A gentle breeze passed over the rooftops where she was hiding, bringing the slight stench of death with it. One of her hands was wrapped around her torso, her other was casually spinning a knife through her fingers. The streets were empty, not a soul to be seen. Not one that could actually be considered actually alive that is.

She pulled a rune from her pocket, one she simply picked off of Jack’s desk when he wasn’t looking. There is something that she was needing to see. She was hearing rumors from the guards during her patrols. Talk about how there was a masked person moving around the city, disappearing and reappearing in random places. There was also a few people who claimed that the man had a circular tattoo on the back of his left hand. That is what caught her attention. She was Jack’s right hand, and she knew the basics on how things worked, this piece of whalebone would solve the mystery on what was the deal with Jesse McCree.

The Outsider was an enigma to her. She knew that it is where Jack got his mark and with it his powers, she knew that it, or he as Jack referred to him, was a being that seemed all knowing, but he really wasn’t based on the few things she heard about him. He made mistakes and assumptions about the world that they lived in. He was very withdrawn from the world but seemed to enjoy meddling with it. She wanted to know more, especially since it seemed that he distracted Jack when he needed to be focused more than ever.

Since the job in killing the Emperor, Jack had changed. He was more desperate to get these runes and would spend time talking to them. He was more withdrawn from Overwatch, and seemed to mostly accept the fate that he was doomed, and that he was simply no good, when he was just acting on circumstance. She wasn’t about to confront him about it, but she wanted Jack, her friend and companion back. It almost hurt to see him in his current state of she was being perfectly honest.

Using her standing within Overwatch, she had someone following McCree. Interestingly, he had been seen teleporting, or blink as they called them. This strengthens the theory that Jesse and the masked man who recently popped up in Dunwall was the same person, nevermind Lucio seeing him take his mask off once or twice. There hadn’t been too many powers noted coming from him, but it was enough for her to know that the Outsider was involved. If that was the case, she had some questions, she just had to get him while he would be the most cooperative.

Like saving the heir to the throne: Genji Shimada.

Jesse held up his hand as he pressed his back against a wall to signal to his company to stop. The shuffled clumsy footsteps beside him made him stifle a sigh. Hanzo was a lot lighter on his feet, scaring even Jesse in some instances. He understood however, that Genji had just been through a lot. His brother was killed before his eyes, he was kidnapped and then put in a brothel of all places. Though, the last part Jesse figured he didn’t mind. Still, with the coup by Talon, he needed to be careful and the younger Shimada’s clumsy footsteps weren’t helping the matter.

_“Genji…”_ the dragon on his shoulder whispered almost forlornly. As a breeze passed through the dragon tensed and turned it’s head toward the corner, on alert. “ _Careful Jesse, I sense the Outsider’s influence.”_ Jesse turned toward the ethereal being. He figured out quickly that other people couldn’t see the dragon, and there were times like the distant way he had said Genji’s name that made him wonder if he was actually Hanzo. The voice, and mannerisms fit and given everything else, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched.

Jesse decided to focus on that later and focus on the rooftops. There was a shadow that moved. He reached for his gun, deciding that with Genji, he wasn’t going to be taking any chances. He loved Hanzo, and now with him gone he wanted more than anything to keep Genji alive. They were friends sure, but in his raw emotional state he was all that he had of Hanzo at this point.

“Jumpy aren’t we?” said a snarky voice. Jesse turned sharply, pointing his gun to a figure whose face was obscured by a hood. Only the bottom of their face showed as they stood up from the small wall they were kneeling on and calmly walked over to the two of them, being very aware of the gun pointed at them. The person smirked and turned slightly toward Genji, disappearing, and reappeared behind him, leaning against with a knife against his neck. “Careful.”

“Jesse…” Genji said quietly looking between the two of them. “Just put the gun down.” Jesse looked at him like he was stupid. The figure shrugged.

“Took the words right out of my mouth.”

“It’s not my first time being held hostage,” Genji said dragging out the first word with a shrug. Jesse almost wanted to take back how Genji’s thinking might be distorted due to the recent stress, but he knew better. He probably wasn’t much different. “I also trust Jesse, so I really have nothing to lose. Except my life? But life’s been really stressful, and you don’t seem like you’re _really_ going to kill me but-“

“Genji, I know I’m speakin’ for Hanzo, if he was still with us when I say shut up.” Jesse said as he set the gun on the ground and kicked it toward the figure who calmly stopped it with her foot. “Now, what do you want?” He made a note to apologize to him later for adding more stress to his life.

The figure let Genji go, pushing him toward the guard. Jesse hugged him, noting the tight squeeze the shorter man was giving him. He lifted his head slightly to look at the figure, only to panic to no longer see her. He turned, scanning the area.

“Up here.” He turned to see her sitting on a street light, lightly kicking her feet, inspecting his gun. “I need information, you have a mark and I need your opinion on something.”

“What do you know about it?” Jesse put his left hand behind his back, against Genji’s chest as he stepped in front of him.

“ _She doesn’t have one. Yet, she just teleported…”_ Jesse looked at his shoulder as the dragon hummed.

“What can you tell me about this?” She simply held up a rune and looked at Jesse. He tensed seeing it. “I know it is a Rune tied to the Outsider. What I need to know, is what kind of power it has.”

“Outsider?” Genji asked interrupting. The mysterious woman looked at him and nodded once. “Wait, Jesse you’re involved with the Outsider? I thought he was just something the Overseers were being dumb about. My brother was seeing an occultist? That’s so hardcore.”

“He’s very real Genji. I can’t tell you what powers it has unless I hold it.”

“I just need the aura feel. I know someone who is marked, and he’s been saying interesting things about these. I simply need a second opinion. Make sure he’s not the one going crazy now. Everyone knows everyone else in Dunwall is at this point.” She tossed the rune toward Jesse who caught it. He frowned in confusion and turned it around. Genji pushed himself up on his toes and inspected it as well.

“What’s the symbol mean?” Genji asked reaching over to touch it, only to get stopped by Jesse.

“I don’t know.” He ran his hand over it, and the glove on his hand glowed slightly. Genji’s eyes widened as his lips were parted in awe. “The energy is different. It’s lighter. Like, when the sun actually came out.”

“Like life before this plague,” the woman supplied.

The rat plague of Dunwall was hard to fight off before. Now, without the Emperor the beacon of hope for the people, the diseased rats ran more rampant, and the diseased individuals were seen more. Those who acted more of the living dead, Weepers, were more present, especially in the poorer districts of Dunwall. Those individuals were on borrowed time, only so much could be taken before they outlasted their welcome and they joined the pile of corpses scattered everywhere. Both Torbjorn Lindholm and Angela Zeigler were trying to come up with cures, and though Dr. Zeigler’s did stave off some of the symptoms, people were still getting sick, and they were still dying.

“Yeah.” She hummed and held out her hand. Darkness coalesced around the rune as it was then pulled toward her. Jesse reached for it as she used her other hand to toss him his gun. On instinct he grabbed the weapon.

“Thank-you.” She got up and turned toward the buildings lining the city.

“Wait!” Jesse yelled taking a step forward. “Who are you and how did you get that?” The figure paused and bowed their head. They slowly turned toward him, taking the hood off.

“My name is Ana Amari. I work under Jack Morrison, the man who was hired to kill Emperor Shimada. I am simply trying to help him. Since that day he’s been acting weird. I simply want my friend back.” She look at him with a soft expression, her hair falling over her shoulder wrapped in a braid. “I am not here to apologize, I didn’t agree with the move, but I still participated. Any apology isn’t going to make up for the brother, the lover that was lost.”

“You’re damn right. Can you pass a message to Morrison?” Jesse asked his voice hardened. A single nod prompted him to continue. “Tell him I am comin’ for him.”

“He is already aware.” She turned back, getting ready to leave once again.

“Why?” Ana paused and turned back as Genji ran forward. “Why did you do it?” Ana chuckled darkly and shook her head.

“Loyalty does weird things Shimada, Genji. I hope your reign on the throne, after this coup thing is taken care of is a strong one.” She gave a small bow before disappearing in a wisp of smoke.

Jesse watched it float upwards, a cool breeze passing through the streets. He bowed his head and closed his eyes. Genji was shaking where he stood before he fell to his knees.

“It’s not fair!” He yelled punching the ground.

On a rooftop Ana simply pulled her hood up, and walked into the shadows. She got what she needed.

\---

Searching for those who were marked was difficult. There was only a number of ways to tell who had powers and who didn’t. Catching them in the act of using them was the most obvious way, but if they were careful they wouldn’t be caught. The powers of the Outsider seemed to give those who were marked a sixth sense. She never asked Jack about it, and especially since the murder of the Emperor she knew that talking about the Outsider would be off limits. He grew tense and distant when he was asked about him, and having worked with him for years, she knew that it was best to simply let things be.

So, she was simply chasing leads, having those she trusted scout out ahead of her trying to see who else they could dig up who had strong connections to the Outsider. That lead her kneeling in front of a run-down apartment across the street watching as small splicers from Null Sector stood outside a door.

The lead wasn’t much. Just reports that there was a shrine in the apartment, being tended to by its resident. Someone who was simply called Junkrat. From what Ana found out about him, he was seemed delirious, or delusional. It changed depending on who was answering the question. All Ana knew was that he talked to rats, whether he knew about the plague that was slowly causing the decline of the Empire or not, remained to be seen, and was very fond of explosives which made him dangerous.

Ana jumped off of the roof, landing on the ground between the splicers and took her sword out, fluidly slices down the three of them before politely knocking on the door, putting her weapon away and pulled her hood off. A crash was heard from the other side of the door followed by a chuckle.

“G’day!” came a cheerful greeting as the door opened. The man in front of her was dressed in rags and a few rats bolted out of the door causing Ana to move her feet so the rats wouldn’t run across them.

“Hello, I have heard you know what these are, and who they’re for.” Ana carefully held up a rune. The crazed smile slowly fell off of his face, looking at the rune.

“That’s an old one. He hasn’t been that happy in a while.”

“He?”

“The Outsider mate.”

“I know of him; do you know where I could find out more?” She kept her voice slow and steady trying her best to be as gentle and even as possible.

The man in front of her laughed and twitched a little. “If you’re lookin’ for more ‘bout ‘em you must not know ‘em very well. Maybe I should get you into see him personally!”

“No, no I just want to visit, see him for a few brief moments.” She held her hands out seeing him reach for what very clearly looked like a homemade explosive on his chest. He frowned and deflated.

“No one likes my way of getting to the Outsider. Everyone prefers the Serkonos way. And quite frankly, blowing up is more fun.”

Ana raised her eyebrow. “Blowing things up is fun. What if you send your friends to the Outsider. I’m sure he’ll enjoy the company.”

Junkrat’s eyes widened as he looked down at one of his rats that was climbing up what appeared a prosthetic leg. “You’re a genius!” He slammed the door in her face, causing her to simply stand there with her eyes closed for a moment before visibly relaxing.

Serkonos.

Not how she expected to get this lead, but a lead was a lead.


	5. Chapter 5

Ana was sitting in a chair next to Jack’s bed looking up at the dirtied window. Not much moonlight shone through. It wasn’t off putting to her, or even to Jack. Honestly everyone in Overwatch was nocturnal. It was hard to be an assassin during the day, but that being said there were still a few members what stayed awake during the day simply to gather information or run errands for the group.

Errands like setting up a voyage across the sea to Serkonos for instance. It was a short-notice job but it was easily done from where Ana stood. Where exactly they would end up there, she was unsure of, but Jack grew up there, so it would be nice to return home once in a while. As long as Ana knew him, he hadn’t return home. He honestly seemed more distant to his own childhood home more than anything.

Whether he wanted to go there or not, it wasn’t much of his decision at this point. The Outsider was tied to Serkonos, so going there was the best thing they could do at this point. It was better than staying in Dunwall and watch the great city fall.

“The moon is out, the air is full of the plague, and I am saying let’s get out of here,” Ana said not-so-gently pushing Jack out of his bed to wake him up.

“Ana what the fuck?” Jack groaned as he tried to pull the blankets back around him, as if he was going to sleep there on the floor.

“What? We’re on a schedule. We have to get moving.”

“Schedule?” Jack asked pulling himself up into a sitting position. Ana nodded and got up from her chair.

“I already packed your bags, the boat leaves in two hours. You’re going home Jack.”

“What?”

“I’ll explain on the boat.” With that she disappeared in a wisp of smoke. Jack groaned and looked at his hand. The mark was burning more than usual. He tried to remember the last time he took Torbjörn’s spiritual remedy and realized it had been a couple of days. He groaned and picked on up and drank it tossing the vile to the side and stretched. It took a few seconds, but soon the rush of vigor pulsed through his body, awakening him and the pain in his hand died down.

He knew that Ana’s heart was in the right place, but he honestly wasn’t into doing much recently. He was content with just waiting in the Flooded District until McCree tracked him down and let him decide Jack’s fate. Her plan was going against that, and he was unsure if he wanted to go against what he had already set his min up to do. Deciding he had nothing to lose he went ahead and got dressed, putting all his gear on and went to meet Ana outside by the main entrance to their hide out.

“Are you going to tell me what this is about?” He asked.

“The Outsider. If you still want to stay and accept Jesse’s bullet to the face, by all means. I know that what the Outsider has done to distance himself from you has been bothering you, so I figured we might as well see why his distance is bothering you. If it’s nothing I am sure Jesse will still be just as happy to put a bullet between your eyes then as he will be if we had stayed.” Jack groaned as together they started toward the docks.

“Don’t tell me, you’re doing this for my own good, so I’ll realize something that everyone else in Overwatch already knows?” Ana scowled.

“Now you’re taking all the fun out of mothering you. But yes, that is exactly what I am doing.”

Jack rolled his eyes. He didn’t need mothering. He had gotten this far in his life not depending on anyone but himself, he was going to go out depending on the same. He didn’t need Ana, but she was a good friend, and though he hated to admit it, she was good at keeping him in line toward his goal. Her doing this was just another time where she was doing her job both as a best friend and a second-in-command. Getting action from inaction.

Instead of telling him to just get over what he’s done and keep moving she’s listened to him lament, on how he actually finally felt like a cold-blooded killer rather than a victim of circumstance, or how he was as she put it pining over the Outsider. It wasn’t pining, be just enjoyed his company and was curious about who he was as a person. Just because he was also attracted to men, doesn’t mean that he wanted to sleep with him. Likewise, for some of the more adventurous dreams he had. He just wanted to get to know him beyond of his persona of the Outsider. He knew more than anyone that the Outsider was changing. There was something going on with him within the Void.

“Amari,” called a person causing the two to stop in their tracks. “Where are you takin’ him?”

“We’re leaving Dunwall,” Ana supplied turning to look up at a figure looking down at him. “You’re welcome to join us, but you’ll be leaving the mess that is politics here. I don’t think you want to do that Jesse.” The figure stiffened as Jack turned and looked up at the roof.

The moon was full in a way that caused one of his eyes and the ends of his hair to stand out in the dark as he looked at the man shrouded by the darkness. It was almost a blue glow around his head. The figure tensed and took a small step back.

He paused and turned slightly toward his shoulder. Jack clenched his fist and closed his eyes. When he opened them a sepia-like filter took over the area around them. Outlines of nearby runes and charms that were infused with the Outsider’s power were seen through walls. As was a blue ethereal being around Jesse McCree’s shoulder. As he studied what was around him, the mark on the back of his hand lit up, small wisps of smoke rose from his hand as it burned deep into the bone.

 _“Jack Morrison. He at one point was very close with the Outsider. He has been in sporadic contact with him ever since the Emperor’s death. Depression has taken over his soul, like the waves of the tide on the beach. He is looking for redemption, he is letting it rest in your hands Jesse,”_ the being said Jesse reached for his pistol.

“The Outsider has changed,” Jack said causing the ex-Royal guard to pause. “He’s become…darker. He’s always spoke in riddles and helps you in vague clues. He is shrouded by shadows that make up the Void. I want to help him. You don’t know the Outsider I know Jesse. Let me help him, then my life will be in your hands.”

Jesse seemed to take this under consideration. As he did so, Jack let go of the power to see the Outsider’s influence in this world and shook the pain out of his hand. He rubbed the mark and looked back up to the figure.

“I don’t rightly know what you’re referrin’ to, ‘bout this Outsider fella. Do ya think leavin’ him down the path he’s goin’ down is that bad? He’s said some things that have me thinkin’ and he does give me this unsettlin’ feelin’.”

“That is normal, but does he suggest you kill, or is surprised when you don’t, making it seem like it was all your choice?” Jack asked. Jesse thought about it and squared his shoulders. He put the gun away and turned.

“I expect to see you at the castle at some point Morrison.”

“Of course.” He watched as shadows wisped away from the place Jesse McCree was standing. He only bought him time, assuming he survived whatever adventure Ana was about to bring him on. Jack pulled out the white energy rune.

Time to see where the breadcrumbs lead to.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has some minor body horror in it, the just is Gabe replaces Ana's arm and eye with artifacts from the Void (a prosthetic in this case but with magic) If you want to skip it stop reading after Gabe says "So I'll leave you this instead" and skip that next paragraph. You can start reading again at "Your life may never be the same..."

Ana tied a knot in the ropes holding the masts to the top of the main mast. The wind of the dawn was bringing in cool air causing goosebumps to rise on her skin. Looking down, she looked at Jack as he was leaning on the side of the boat. She sat down with her legs hanging down kicking lightly in the sway of the ship.

She hoped that he was at least thinking of where to go once they docked. She certainly didn’t know anything useful of Serkonos. All that she knew was that she was following her gut, due to Jack following his gut in saying something was wrong with the Outsider. Serkonos at the least would be a place to hide out until everything calms down in Dunwall. Best thing that could happen is that someone, or something was waiting on them at the docks, knowing that they were coming for some occult reason.

 Despite being an assassin, deep down Jack cared about people. He cared about the people he recruited for Overwatch. Most of the members from Ana’s recollection were pulled from the streets, where they were all desolate and void of all hope and given them a family. He taught them how things were. He showed them that despite trying to be a good law-abiding citizen, life has a way to make a criminal out of anyone, and that if you end up doing bad to survive, you might as well be good at what you do, and don’t get caught.

So, seeing him in this state of depression and obsession toward an individual that only so many people even had confirmation that he even existed, was a bit jarring. He was distraught about what was happening around him, and the lack of support and sudden change in someone she knew he confided in was a nail in the coffin. Especially since he was pining after him.

Ana grabbed some of the rope holding the ship together and swung down, landing with a low thud. She took a moment to regain her footing and moved to lean against the railing with Jack. He turned and looked at her for a second.

“Tell me about him,” Ana asked her voice even but conveying a note of curiosity. Jack raised an eyebrow. He then sighed and pressed his lips together almost seeming as if he wasn’t going to share anything with her.

“He’s mysterious,” Jack started. “He is someone who speaks in riddles. He is a dramatic person, who seems to always need to be right. He acts impartial but in all honestly, he has something that he wants to happen and if he doesn’t get things his way, he will hand out his mark elsewhere.”

“What do you see in him?”

“First of all, I don’t like him like that, and two. When we talked, he seemed at ease. He took interest in what I was doing and…” He trailed off watching at the waves. “There were some nights where when I was pulled into the Void, and we just laid on the floating platform, watching the sky whales fly.”

“Sky whales?”

“The Void doesn’t make sense. I can’t explain the Sky whales, I tried to get him to explain but even he doesn’t know.” Ana hummed and nodded. “Would you accept it?” Ana turned toward him confused. “The mark, if it was offered.”

Ana stood up straight and shifted her weight between her feet for a few seconds considering the question. She was curious about who the Outsider was, but she’s seen what the mark does to people enough.

“I don’t think so. It seems too much trouble.” Jack chuckled and nodded.

“You’re not wrong. Though there are perks to it.” Ana shrugged.

“I can get by without them.”

“I don’t doubt you in the slightest.” Ana chuckled and patted his back.

“I am going to go to sleep. Don’t stay up too late. Will you be okay?” Jack nodded and went back to starting at the water.

Ana made one last check to everything to make sure they were on course in the small ride between the mainland and the small island of Serkonos, near Cuellero is where they were docking. From there, Karnaka seemed like a good starting point. From one capital to another. She was going to let Jack decide though. He was the one with the mark after all.

Ana opened the door to her cabin, kicking it closed behind her. She took off her cloak and looked at the dusty mirror behind her. The eyepatch she’s worn for years still placed proudly on her left eye. She stretched her arms above her head.

“I don’t have much time,” said a voice behind her. Ana turned sharply and blinked a few times, she reached for her sword at her side, but seeing the wisps of darkness and the strange muted echo around his voice she froze. This must be the Outsider. He was sitting on her bed, a hood over his head, but not obscuring his face. He looked at her with cold black eyes. “Let me tell you something about the Void Ana Amari: it touches the minds of the dreaming and dying alike. And sometimes, dreams can only tell you what you wanted to forget.”

“What are you doing here?” The being moved to stand but like she’s seen many times before blinked, appearing behind her and spoke directly into her ear. She felt no breath, no heat from the body as he leaned down.

“You’re helping Jack. You want _your_ Jack Morrison back. In order to do that, you need me back. You’re going to Serkonos, that’s good. My power grows weak, you won’t accept my mark. So I’ll leave you this instead.” He blinked around her again, reaching forward and grabbed onto her arm.

Ana screamed in pain as she tried to back up out of his grasp. It burned, pieces of her flesh were turned into ash and then melted away into the darkness. A shriveled black appendage taking its place. Before she could react, a hand was placed over her eye, and the feeling repeated only for some reason more intense.

“Your life may never be the same Ana Amari, I wonder how you’ll feel about that when this is over.” Ana reached out to grab him, but he disappeared as she fell to her knees on the ground.

The door burst open, Jack stood in the doorway, moonlight shining behind him, sword at the ready. His eyes scanned the cabin before he fell to his knees and helped Ana sit up. She cradled her hand against her chest. Opening her hand, there was a single black feather with a note attached to it.

_Quoth the Raven, Nevermore._

“The Outsider,” Jack mumbled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am getting ready to pack and move within the next couple of days I will try to post chapters, but if I forget I will catch up on postings once I get settled down. So sorry about the inconvenience


	7. Chapter 7

The sea was calm, one of the few moments where the water was truly quiet. The rocking was gentle, one of those nights where sleeping on open water would end up being more of a comfort than sleeping on solid land. The gentle rocking only served to calm the already exhausted body and mind.

Jack’s normally light and quiet steps were with purpose, alerting Ana that he was walking toward her. The last thing he wanted to do was to scare her more. He knew the Outsider had made an appearance, the back of his hand burned it was so cold for a few moments before the sensation went away as quickly as it came. A small clang of glass hitting another piece of glass as he walked through the deck. There was a small knock at the door before it opened. Ana was wrapped in a blanket. Her hand was just under her eyepatch, her other eye looked distant.

Jack sat down next to her and handed her a tea cup. Her hands were shaking as she took a sip. She let the liquid sit in her mouth for a moment before speaking. “You didn’t let it seep enough,” she mumbled. Jack chuckled and shook his head fondly.

“Of course, I didn’t. Figured it would be better than burning the tea leaves.”

“I need to show you how to properly make tea.”

“Let’s do it when this is all over.” Ana nodded, and they sat for a little bit in complete silence. Only the creaking of the ship was heard, both respecting the other in trying to sort out their own thoughts. Both had a plethora of questions that were burning to be asked, and Ana being the one who was just visited, and mutilated by the Outsider.

“Is he always like that?” Ana asked quietly. “Abrasive, and…strangely poetic?” She twirled the feather that was left with her right hand, looking at how her new hand moved. It seemed to be fully functional, as far as they both knew at that point.

Jack scoffed. “Abrasive, no. Poetic, yeah.” He nodded as he said his second sentence. “I think this was more to me however.”

“Edgar Allan Poe?”

“Yes and no, this is something else. The Outsider actually likes Poe, he’s referenced him a few times when he talks to me. Now, what does him giving me an obvious Poe reference mean? Like most of what he says I have no idea.” Ana scoffed and handed him the feather. He took it and turned the note attached to it around. On the back, sure enough was the same sign that was on his hand was inscribed on the page.

“He said he considered giving me his mark, and then grabbed my hand, and then put it over my eye. I don’t…” Ana shook her head and opened her mouth, no words coming out until she put her hand back over her eye. “I don’t know what he did, but I know if I remove this eyepatch, there’s going to be something similar to my hand. I’m scared Jack.”

Jack’s expression softened as he took Ana’s right hand. “It’s okay to be scared,” he said putting his other hand on top of hers. The mark on his hand burned, the blackness of the mark lighting up. He removed his hand, and the light dulled. He brought it back and it grew in intensity again.

“I…I think this is from the Void.”

“The Void?”

“Yeah. Close your eyes and focus on it, what do you feel?”

Ana did just that, her left hand rested on her right, setting her tea to the side as she did nothing but focused on her hand and eye. The warm sea air around her became cold, and a breeze was felt through her hair. It was still humid, but…she knew that whatever she was focusing on wasn’t the boat she knew she currently was on.

She opened her eyes and took off the eyepatch, looking around. She looked to the palm of her left hand pulled her fingers from her palm. Time stopped as she moved away from her body. She looked around herself, looking for any physical part of Ana Amari, but the only one she found was the body she seemingly moved from. Jack was standing there motionless as Ana moved about the room, looking around.

Nothing was moving, it was as if she was in a vacuum. It was at this moment she realized she had felt nothing from the powers that she associated with Jack. She also noticed that she was growing weak, the grasp she had on this form was diminishing.

She let it go, the world going black for a second before air rushed into her lungs. She blinked a few times and looked at Jack. “I have powers.” Jack looked at her arm and eye. “Why did he…”

“Who knows.” He looked at the feather in his hand. “Maybe we should go to sleep.”

“Why?”

“We might be invited to the Void. Whatever is happening he might be able to talk to us.”

“Jack, I don’t think he would’ve gone through all the trouble of manifesting here, doing this, just to tell you to go to sleep.” She paused, seeing the page in Jack’s hand twitch. The beige paper changed color for a split second. She looked at her right hand and the fingertips lit up blue as she reached out and pulled at the twitching image that was the paper.

 _The Reaper comes when one least expects it. Watching from the shadows to take its prey. Only this and nothing more, Quoth the Outsider; Nevermore_.

Ana frowned and slowly repeated what she just heard. Jack furrowed his brow and looked at the feather. “Something is happening in parallel to the poem?”

“Or it’s supposed to be a bad gothic love poem he’s trying to write.” Ana crossed her arms. Jack glared at her. “Look, he speaks in riddles, and we’re not in a position right now to figure out what that meant. Let’s get to Serkonos and figure out where there we need to go.”

Jack inhaled and ran a hand through his hair. It didn’t dishevel his hair all that much, simply served to have it stand it up at odd angles. “Let’s start in Karnaca.”

“I was thinking the same thing.”

“Alright, go to sleep Ana.”

“Way ahead of you Jack.” She waved at him and laid down in bed. She listened as Jack walked out of the room, the door closing without a sound.

\---

_The Void is a mysterious place, even I someone who has been here for thousands of years doesn’t know how it works. I have given you objects from the Void. I can communicate with you and Jack through these. The Void is its own being almost. Don’t forget this Ana._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for not being able to update. I moved and then found out my dorm had bedbugs so I was dealing with that all week and getting all of my supplies together and stuff. I just had my room treated and I am needing to stay off my feet due to walking too much (yay chronic illness) 
> 
> So, I am going to try to catch up on the chapters I missed, but we'll see.


	8. Chapter 8

Serkonos. If there was one thing that Jack didn’t miss from the southern nation was its warm humid air. It was stifling, made the sweat stick to him rather than evaporate off his skin or serve to actually cool him off. It was an insulator, and with his cloak and other gear hiding everything that would get him arrested on the spot it was downright unbearable.

He still had to hide his hand, Serkonos had its own Overseers known as Talon, looking for the Outsider and take hold of his power or wipe him out. It depended on who he was asking what their goal was. Either way, he was still relying on his powers to help him find shrines, runes, and charms. It wasn’t the best change, but there was no rat plague, or coup trying to overthrow the seat of power by murder. So, that was an improvement.

Jack pulled himself up on a roof overlooking Karnaca. The city hadn’t really changed 24 years that he was last in the city. He was keeping tabs on the place, thinking that it’d be a good place to run to should things start going south in Dunwall, never did he think that he would be here not to run, but to investigate something that he simply doesn’t understand. Ana pulled herself up next to him, flexing her fingers, still getting used to her new hand. He turned and looked at her.

“What now?” she asked as a strong sea breeze passed, throwing their cloaks behind them majestically but also reminded them how sticky they felt.

“I was about to ask you the same thing,” Jack responded honestly. Ana chuckled and shook her head as she scanned the area.

“We could find a shrine, see if he picks up.”

“Shrines aren’t like a phone Ana.”

“You’re right, I can’t eavesdrop on those conversations.” She shrugged and jumped off the roof, signaling she was done with the conversation. “I am going to see what I can find in terms of the Outsider’s influence here, you get on that shrine phone and get in contact with him.” She turned and then paused. “Also, I agree, he is totally a black-eyed bastard.” She raised her left hand and reached out. She jerked her hand toward her in a pulling motion as she disappeared in a wisp of smoke.

Jack sighed and shook his head. Just like Ana, taking something she doesn’t understand and might even be a little scared of, and she decides to just run at it full-force. She did so tactically, gathering information first and foremost. Despite Ana taking charge a lot of times like a stubborn mule, she followed what he said to do. He was at the end of the day a leader, and she respected that. For how long, he wasn’t sure. Either way, she was a good companion to have.

Jack closed his fist and closed his eyes, dipping once again into the powers that the Outsider gave him. He looked around. Outlines of runes were seen dotting various places around him. Finding one that was attached to a shrine was the hard part. He could easily be walking into a trap as well. His gaze found a rune in what appeared to be around various residential homes. If anything was likely to be a shrine, that would be a place to start.

He blinked, returning his vision to normal and pictured how his perspective would change if he was on the roof of the building a few meters in front of him. He blinked again, a brief pass of cool air caused goosebumps to rise on his skin and he was there. It was a brief salvation from the heat, but it was no where near enough. He was going to have to find some way to keep cool later.

\---

“You really think you’re going to save me? Save me from what Jackie?” sneered the Outsider as he stood. His voice was lower, growling even at him. “You failed me, failed the world as a whole by extension. The place you have called home for over 2 decades is declining because of a plague that Hanzo Shimada was trying oh-so-hard to cure for his people. You ripped not only a lover from a man, but the hope of an entire people. That takes talent.”

“I didn’t come here to be patronized.”

“Right, you came here to be a hero. Why? You’ve gone all your life not caring, simply playing the hand that you’ve been dealt. What changed Jack?”

_You did._

Jack held his tongue as the Outsider paced around him. Trendless of darkness were billowing around him, there were more present than normal. He really studied the back of the Outsider, his legs disappeared into the void, what normally was a neat pressed suit jacket, was turning into a billowing cloak, and what skin he did see was paler than he was six months ago.

“I’m tired of being the ‘bad guy’ I guess,” Jack lied as smooth as he could. He knew the Outsider would see through it, _his_ Outsider anyways.

“You’re still a far way from that Jackie.” He crossed his arms. “A far way indeed.”

The Outsider groaned in pain, holding his head, taking a step back. Jack instinctively took a step toward him and paused, watching as the physical form of the Outsider flicker. An evil cackle echoed through the space as more and more shadows gathered around the Outsider.

“Jack!” came an ethereal whisper. The look on the Outsider’s face completely changed from the sneer to once that was almost scared. “I don’t have much time…he’s really powerful.”

“What’s going on?”

“Witches. Look for Moira.”

“Is she the center of this, or help?” Jack moved to kneel in front of the Outsider as he screamed in pain, Jack’s hands almost completely phasing through the Outsider’s body. He tried to answer Jack’s question, desperately holding onto his face before a wave of darkness passed through and almost knocked Jack off the edge of the piece of rock they were standing on.

Jack pulled himself up back onto solid land and pushed himself up, looking as the Void took the Outsider back in its clutches, disappearing in a puff of smoke. He was there alone, and being alone in a place like the void was never a situation you wanted to be in. The Void already was unsettling being there with nothing to focus on was downright ominous. It felt like the Void was going to consume you.

_Moira._

He was looking for a witch. Why did everything end up going back to witches?

He had no problem with them his mother was rumored to be one. Such a rumor Jack neither confirmed nor denied. He knew that they had their own agenda, and the powers to obtain them. He wasn’t sure whether or not they had aid from the Outsider or not, with the nature of some of the powers he’s observed, he wouldn’t be surprised if they did.

Now, he was hunting one.

It was…kind of poetic in a way. The question was, where should he begin looking.


	9. Chapter 9

Jack knelt down and looked at the lights keeping the building in front of him lit. It was times like these he wished he had sent Ana to expand Overwatch into other parts of the Empire, but it was such a rare hinderance that he decided that it’d be _such_ a waste of resources and man power that he’d rather deal with the fun that is stumbling through stealth missions not knowing where he was going due to not having a scout map out the area, or what he was aiming to do because of the cryptic messages from the Outsider just because it spiced up his life.

In short: he hated them.

He hated them, and he was currently there waiting on any cue, or opening in the building to signal that it could sneak in. This was hard because he knew what he was looking for, but he would only know he found it after the window had passed. It was hard to decide when to move. He was kneeling there for a while, it was going to take a while, one couldn’t simply just waltz into the building he was stalking.

Talon was just as helpful, as they were a hinderance. They were hunting for anything that had to do with occult. That was, anything that had to do with the Outsider, witches, or anything of the sort. That means, they were researching what the mark could do, who wielded it. There were some countermeasures they had that were really annoying for Jack, and sneaking into their base where they had that kind of information and everything else, was not only a ballsy move, but a necessary one at this point.

“This isn’t getting me any closer to Moira,” Jack whispered as he stood up. He had some tricks up his sleeve, and as long as he stayed away from the music boxes they kept laying around he’d be fine. Even now, he wasn’t sure how they worked but the frequency that it played stifled his powers, and it frankly hurt his head. He jumped off the roof of the building he was stalking from and held up his hand immediately stopping time around him as he pictured himself on top of Talon’s building.

Time resumed once his feet hit the roof, and he knelt down, letting his magical stamina recharge. So far, so good. He was on the building which was already too close for comfort, but with the feelings he had in his gut, he knew that he had to act on it. The way he got the information was one of the strangest encounters he had with the Outsider, but he couldn’t just ignore it. It was almost like he was pleading, and if he had the power or ability to, he would’ve told Jack everything on the spot.

Running his hands on the side of the building he moved until he came to an open window. Clenching his fist, he looked at the wall beside him, eyes closed until he felt a burn coming from the mark. He jumped back slightly seeing the outline and light details of a person standing on the other side of the wall. There were a couple of options he could take, but he knew he only had so much mana to play with, and he wanted to use his more costly powers only in dire situations.

He looked at his left hand and then at how far from the ground he was. He shrugged, it’d get the job done and even provide a small distraction as he stumbles through the large building trying to find where the files on local witches were held. If he needed more time he had ways to make time.

He coughed just long enough to get the attention of whoever was near the window. He watched and let his fist relax. The outline of the person walked closer to the edge of the window. “The Outsider sends his regards,” he smirked and reached his hand out. Dark tendrils shot out of his hand and wrapped around the body. He sharply pulled his hand down, watching to make sure that he pulled the body far enough from the building. He climbed into the window without a second though, not even flinching when he heard the body hit the concrete.

Jack moved to press himself against the wall leading to the first hallway. He listened for a moment as the sound caught the attention of a few Talon members. Jack held his breath as they ran to the balcony to look over the edge of the railing. He smoothly walked over and closed the door, sticking a fire poker through the handles so it couldn’t be opened again before turning and walking away.

The building was well furnished, chandeliers hanging on the ceiling every few feet. If needed, they would be great to get around in a way not many people see him immediately. He had two rooms in mind, the leader of this base of Talon, or the library. One was likely to have archives, the other more recent information. Unfortunately, there weren’t any signs to help direct him toward either of these places. Looks like he was winging it and planned to just walk into whichever one he found first.

His footsteps were quiet as he used his powers to look through walls every now and again before rounding corners. It was a slow careful process, but he really didn’t want to mess this up. The less these people knew about him, the better. He didn’t want to add his name to the list of names on their leader’s desk. Nothing like the morning saying “Knife of Dunwall Moves to Karnaca” to make his life more difficult.

“Oy! What are you doing here?” Jack jumped and raised his hand, palm down out toward the men in front of him. The mark on the back of his hand burned like iron was pressed against his skin. The air grew cold as the men reaching for their swords started charging toward slowed down before coming to a complete stop.

Jack looked around, he could’ve just blinked but reaction has saved his skin more than once, even if it was inconvenient. He moved and pulled a key out of one of the guard’s jacket and twirled it around his finger with a whistle. He went through the doors they were coming out of, looking around the causal tea set up and continued walking.

The next room wasn’t much different than the last. Expensive decorations, expensive food. The lucky hand outs for being a part of Talon. There were a few weapons scattered about, some coin that Jack did think about picking up, but ultimately the constant burning in his hand was a reminder that he was both on and off the clock. He only had so much time before time itself started moving once again.

The floor he came in on, and the floor under him before the cool air became stifling with humidity and the burning from the Outsider’s mark subsided. He looked at his hand and moved out of the hallway he was standing in the middle of and into what appeared to be a bedroom. Jack held his breath for a few seconds, his heart heard beating rapidly from within his ears.

He listened.

Footsteps continuing along the path that they were walking down as if nothing happened were heard. Mumbling of talking in the room next to his was heard bleeding through into the room he was hiding in. he was no more closer to finding the information he needed than he was before he expended all of the power to stop time. He was not only drained, but deep within enemy territory and once they knew he had what they considered occult powers, he was done for.

He could easily use the upper route he saw when he first came in to traverse the anthill of bad he found himself in. It wouldn’t cost much mana, just one blink, he had that in him right? He needed to let the mark recharge, and with the amount of mana that was used for stopping time, it was going to take a longer time to get it back.

What choice did he have?

The longer he stayed pressed up against the wall of that room, the greater risk he had that someone would walk in and see him. He had to move. A part of him wished he had waited, but the desperation he heard In the Outsider’s voice was a little much, he had to go. He had his suspicions pretty much confirmed with a small interaction. _He had to act._

He had his resolve.

He used a little more of his mana and blinked to the first chandelier he saw and knelt down, silently watching as someone walked under him. He smirked and moved to the next one, and the next one, peaking into every room he could.

He found the library first.

He made sure that the room was clear before he dropped down, kneeling and staying still for a few moments in case the very quiet sound of his boots clicking against the floor was enough to alert anyone. His hand hovered over the sword at his side as he closed his eyes to calm his breathing.

No one came in.

His shoulders fell as he sighed in relief and finally stood up. He stretched out his back and stifling a groan as he looked around, getting a feel for the area he was in. The light was a little lower, the air was slightly cooler, most likely to preserve the documents.

Jack immediately went to the filing cabinet and opened the top drawer. He looked at the door periodically, making sure no one was about to walk in on him snooping through their files. He had an escape plan, that being grab what he could and run, but it was better than no plan.

There were files on things that he expected. General folder about the Outsider, what the runes and bonecharms were, how both were used to make the one who was chosen by the Outsider more powerful in their own way. There were files set aside for people known, or suspected to be marked by the Outsider.  

He was curious on what was in these files, but muffled voice from the hallway alerted him that there was only a short amount of time he had before he had to leave. He simply pulled out the file labeled “Witches” turned toward the window, slid it open, looked over his shoulder one last time before jumping out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so updating while school is going on isn't gonna happen. So, I'll post over the weekend. I am going to try to finish posting over Labor Day, If I post multiple a day it'll be easy. 
> 
> All I am doing right now is giving things a final readthrough to make sure it's good enough for me to be proud of posting. So, doing 2-3 chapters a day isn't too hard.


	10. Chapter 10

The file didn’t have much going for it in terms of what was in there. There was only one witch listed within the file. Unfortunately, the name wasn’t Moira. It was someone that was simply known as Sombra. The name was clearly an alias, but Jack wasn’t in a position to really dig on who this person was.

There was little information, a simple name that’s it. There was very little information outside of her name. No description of their powers, nothing about appearance, typical whereabouts were everywhere and nowhere all at once it seemed. They seemed to basically show up when they are needed, or simply wanted to be involved. The notes weren’t clear on what they did. Just that they were hard to catch and seemed to only be working for themselves.

One report says that Sombra dropped in and help them find some runes, others say that she purposefully meddled with affairs of the agents making it impossible to complete their mission. If she was working for the Outsider she had a very strange way of doing so, but if she was working for anyone else but herself Jack would say the same things about her.

What he did have were past sightings, and though scattered to every far end of Karnaca and beyond, he decided to simply start hanging around the area where they seemed concentrated and leaving little breadcrumbs to find him with. He hoped that this would at the least get their attention Hopefully he could either see them with the sight given to him by the mark. If not, hopefully they were curious enough to what he was doing in these places to where they’d investigate.

Jack was standing in the middle of an alley, looking around his hand have a dull burning. He scanned the area around him. Due to the mark he was looking through walls, watching the night guard walk throughout the city, waiting for just the right moment to press forward to place the next breadcrumb. Sombra seemed to hold no fear toward the watch, and they seemed to admire those who shared that trait.

“Looking for me?” asked a sultry know-it-all voice beside him. Jack jumped and turned to his left. A nicely dressed, cloaked figure was next to him sitting on a the lid of a dumpster. All he saw was her lower face as she crossed her legs and looked at her nails. A smirk was on her face as she crossed her arms and tilted her head as she turned toward him.

A cloud of smoke materialized out of nowhere behind him, drawing his gaze toward it. It formed a small cyclone and when it expanded a small woman stood in the center of it. She was wearing a dark dress, clearly expensive with a dark purple cloak that had a hood that covered most of her face. If Jack had to guess she was from Serkonos based on how tan she was, but the mystical air around her made the hair on his arm stand up.

The burning of his hand subsided as he stopped using his powers and turned slowly to look at her. If her mere presence wasn’t enough, her eyes simply spoke of the power she held. She was searching him and immediately zeroed on his left hand and smirked at him. He moved to hold his hand behind his leg and raised his eyebrows at her.

“The Outsider sure knows how to pick them,” she joked and leaned against the wall behind her, crossing her arms and ankles once again. Seeming bored now from her show of power and Jack’s lack of reaction. Still she sighed as if her fun was ruined. “What does the Outsider want to do with me? Well, more precisely why did he lead you to me?”

“Are you Sombra?” Sombra chuckled with mirth before completely stopping, her expression hardening.

“He sent you to me, but didn’t tell you anything? That’s so unlike him, normally I come with a warning.” Jack sighed and shook his head.

“He didn’t send me to you. He sent me to look for Moira. I tried to get information about her from Talon, and that lead me to you. Now, I have been working in the Outsider’s favor for a while that I know that this leading to you will lead me to her.”

Sombra seemed to consider this and pressed her lips together and sighed. He knew he had a point. The path he was walking could be leading him in circles for a while but eventually he would get to where he needs to get in order to do whatever needs to be done in order to save the Outsider.

“Tell me what you’re doing and I’ll point you in her direction.”

“Excuse me?”

“Do you think I just give out information willy-nilly? I have no use for coin, so I scratch your back, you scratch mine. It seems like a fair trade.” She held out her hand toward Jack in order to shake.

He knew he was dancing a peculiar line trusting a witch, especially one that depending on who you asked depends on how helpful she was. She did seem genuine in her words. The fact she zeroed in on the fact he was with the Outsider unnerved him a little, but he had a feeling he was running behind on the clock. He reached forward and shook hands with her. Her eyes shined for a moment and she smirked.

“You first.”

“Something is wrong with the Outsider, he gave me her name as he was acting weird, almost as if he was in pain,” Jack said compulsively before ripping his hand from hers. “What did you do?”

“She is in Lacroix Manor. It’s a simple truth spell so I get what I need from you and you get what you need from me. It’s passed via skin touch. Thank-you Jack. Oh, and be careful, if she’s managing to mess the one who represents the Void, she’s messing with something very powerful.”

Darkness moved toward Sombra as she waved. Like how she came in, the darkness acted like a cyclone around her until it dissipated, leaving him alone in the alley.

\---

That night when Jack went to bed he had a dream within the Void. This wasn’t uncommon as dreams and death tied people to the Void. The Void always seemed to have it’s own intentions and seemed to be a being in of itself. It was just as mysterious as the Outsider himself sometimes, he was also unsure why he was even there to begin with.

He saw an echo of the two of them sitting on a stone Jack’s legs were dangling off the edge of the world and the Outsider’s head was laying on his lap. Jack’s hand was slowly running through the fuzz that was his hair. A smile was on both their faces as they simply sat there talking.

The two of them disintegrated into smoke as Jack turned to his left and say him laying on the Outsider’s shoulder as they hugged one other. They were slightly swaying to an unheard song. Small circles were rubbed into Jack’s back. The Outsider was encasing him in safety.

Like the first echo they disappeared in a puff of smoke. He watched as the smoke danced around his body and turned toward the way it was traveling. He saw the two of them standing close. Jack’s hands were on the Outsider’s chest as they brushed their lips together tenderly.

Another echo them joking around laughing and playfully shoving each other. Another, of them growing tense. Them getting angry. Them yelling at each other. Then, Jack watched the Outsider turned away from him as he watched Jack stab Emperor Hanzo Shimada.

Jack hung his head in shame. Having remembered how close he was to the Outsider, and then their decline, it was hard. His mark burned into his skin as he watched the Outsider materialize in front of him, slowly walking toward him.

He stopped walking as the islands drifted slightly apart from one another. Wordless, the Outsider held his hand toward him. Jack hesitated and reached toward him, blinking toward him so that they were hand in hand when he materialized. The Outsider smiled and turned Jack’s hand over.

Jack looked at it and the mark seemed to disappear off of his hand as he looked up at the Outsider. His mouth was moving but nothing was heard. Jack tried to ask what he said but the mark came back with a vengeance.

He cried in pain, holding his hand to his chest as the Void around him crumbled and shook as it fractured around him. Heat that was associated with literally anywhere else hit him. The cool air turned to musty, humid and dirt was felt on his shoulder. He was laying in dirt.

Warm tears was rolling down his cheeks as he writhed on the ground and tried to find some relief to help the pain. He could feel his throat go raw at the sheer volume of his voice. A sword was on the ground next to him, and laughter was heard above him. Jack forced his eyes opened, and was unable to see the face of who was standing over him almost mockingly.

“They say the mark is the Outsider’s name that only those who are dead can read,” a ghostly voice said as the pain finally subsided enough for him to look at the mark instead of the intricate circle design he was used to looking, it seemed to be detached, blended lines that still didn’t mean anything to Jack, but it seemed it was trying to make sense of itself.

“You can free him with this information.”

The scene changed again Jesse McCree was on his left, the Outsider on his left.

“You’re going to have to choose Jack Morrison,” they said together. “Life, or Death.” Jack turned between the two of them. More and more people materialized behind Jesse each repeating the same thing over and over. Meanwhile, on the Outsider’s side there was only darkness. He stood silent, simply raising his head when Jack looked at him.

The Outsider simply held out his hand toward him as the repetition of his choice was repeated over and over again.

_There is more than one way to bond with the Void Jack Morrison, a lot of them have your death involved in them, but there are a few lesser known methods to keep yourself bound to the Void. Remember this as you make your choice._

His mouth didn’t move, but it hit him, spoke to him. Jack turned toward the ever-growing crowd of people. “I can’t choose. Not now.”

“But you will soon Jack, you have to go forward from here on with this thought in your head. Choose wisely, there is no going back on it, and regardless of what you chose you will lose something important to you.” The Outsider took a step forward and put his hand on Jack’s chest before patting his shoulder and disappearing.

Jack stood there blinking in shock. He put his hand where the Outsider’s was before he disappeared and looked at the ground. What did he mean? What was going to happen at the Lacroix Manor?

He had a bad feeling within his stomach and he knew from experience that when the gut feeling said something was going to go wrong, everything was going to go wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is taking a while. I am going to be pushing the final chapters out over the rest of today. So, buckle up.


	11. Chapter 11

Jack and Ana knelt on the same roof of a building looking at the Manor. It was well put together on the outside. There was absolutely nothing off about the manor itself. Even when using the powers of the rune in Jack’s hand, or the artifacts that he’d given Ana there was nothing suggesting anything was off. If they hadn’t been led there, they’d both simply shrug take note of how much money the family who lived there appeared to have and carry on. The air around the manor however, made their hair stand up on end the closer to it they got.

Jack turned his head toward Ana with his eyebrows raised in question. Ana nodded, she felt it too. Whatever happened to them, this would be life changing. This was the end of the line for this journey. What happened from that point on, there was no going back.

"The Void touches the minds of dreamers and dying alike," Ana muttered under her breath. Jack turned toward her and raised his eyebrows in confusion. She looked at her hands and then back at Jack with a small smile. "And sometimes dreams only remind you of the past you wish you have forgotten."

"Ana, what do you-" She simply held up her hand and shook her head. Jack closed his mouth, forcing the questions on his tongue to quiet.

"This manor is going to have a dark future ahead of it.” She rubbed the articial arm from the Void as she spoke, her eye shining ever so slightly more in the moonlight. “I don't know exactly what will happen, but I know that if this was a different time, or a different place even, the fate it has will follow it, and that's something that can't change. This manor pulses with the Void Jack, and whatever happens ...whatever happens there will be no explanation of it other than magic. I can feel it. Hell, I can see it." She touched her face under her new eyes and looked at Jack. "You are going to have the biggest decision of all. Are you ready for that?"

Jack paused and looked at her. He blinked and inhaled deeply, pressing his lips together and turned toward the Manor. "The Outsider said something similar." Ana paused, and Jack felt her gaze on him. “I had a dream last night and he was there. A lot of things happened in it, but him telling me that what is about to happen was going to be big and that whatever happened was going to be something that we couldn't go back and change."

Jack paused and inhaled looking at his gloved hands and shook his head. "I don't... I don't know if I am ready Ana." He looked at Ana, his eyes showing a little fear. Ana gently put a hand on his shoulder and rubbed his back.

"Just follow your heart Jack, or don't. Whichever you think will be the best decision."

"But-"

"Don't 'but' Jack. What if's and maybe's aren't what we need right now. We _need_ Jack Morrison the Knife of Dunwall. We followed the breadcrumbs that the Outsider, has left us and now we're here. How is this from any other wild goose chase we've been on?" Jack scoffed and nodded.

"You're right. We're here because we were lead here, and we were lead here because we followed a hunch, and that hunch was something is wrong with the Outsider." He pulled out the rune that started this entire adventure and twirled it around his fingers. He looked at Ana and they both nodded.

They jumped from the roof they were sitting and onto the street. The air caused the hair on Jack's arms to stand up even more. He looked at Ana who reached out toward the Manor with the arm the Outsider gave her. He gave her a moment before she shook her head. With a calm inhale, Jack walked forward onto the grounds of the manor.

The grass was wilting under their feet, as they walked along the path. The gate screeched as Jack slowly pushed it open with a single finger. Immediately the strange feeling that was radiating off of the place hit him like a wall. He gasped. A few minutes ago he was wound up so tight that anything would've set him off of that roof, knife in one hand powers being accessed with the other. Now, he simply felt weak, powerless. He could still move and fight like he normally would, but the mark on his left hand felt less prominent. He felt sluggish.

He looked at the mark, pulling back the glove to inspect it. The marking was still there. When he tried to dip into the powers and activate them, wanting to simply blink two feet in front of him, nothing happened. He didn't even feel the mark burn itself deeper into his skin as if to remind him that he was marked. He turned toward Ana as she walked up beside him.

"I can't use my powers. It's...I wouldn't say it's like I need one of Torb's potions, but...I also don't feel the weight of the mark on my hand either." Ana hummed and stretched her hand out in front of her.

Darkness enveloped her and she was able to move no problem. Then again, the two of them had come to the same conclusion that she didn't bear the arcane mark anymore, and that she instead had a new set of powers given to her by the "gifts" the Outsider had given her.

"I seem to be fine, then again it seems like my powers come from a difference source. Yours is the mark where mine are...these things given to me." Jack nodded. "I suppose that is one way this mansion is weird."

“You say that like you expect it to be weirder,” Jack scoffed. Ana shrugged and walked toward the door. Jack tilted his head at her silence and followed her, scanning the building as he approached it, looking for the best way inside. The closer he got, the more unsettled he became. He saw it in Ana as well, the way she was holding herself, one hand on her weapon her stance pushing her center of gravity to settle between her feet.

“Any idea where we should go inside?” Ana asked.

“Let’s try the front door, see if any staff are on hand. If they are, we knock them out, and hide.” Ana scoffed and shook her head as she knelt down to look into the keyhole.

“’Knife of Dunwall Enters Manor Through the Front Door, for Once.’ I can see the headlines now Jack. There’s no one there. Let’s go.” Ana stood up and reached for her sword once again as Jack slowly opened the door. He took one step inside and immediately the air grew cold and almost suffocating.

“Ana…?” He whispered.

“Yeah, I feel it too, time has stopped.”

The two of them jumped at the sound of slow clapping happening behind them that started once the door slammed close behind them. The two of them slowly turned to their left to see the Outsider walking toward them. His skin was more ashen than it had been up until that point, his cheeks hollow. It fit the perverted feeling that surrounded the mansion.

“I’m not sure who I should be impressed with more; you, or the feeble person you once held as the Outsider,” He said his voice coming out more of a growl rather than the voice that sent shivers down Jack’s spine. “The fact that what two words lead you here is amazing. You beat the odds.” He held his hands behind his back and smirked at the two of them. He blinked, shadows materializing on the stair banister, sitting. “Now, let’s go over Lacroix. Or rather, why bother? You’re against the clock Jackie.”

“Against the clock for what?”

“The Void is not exactly a place Jack, and it's much older and stranger than you could ever know. It watches you from within. And at the heart of Laxroix's house, the Void is leaking through a pinprick left by Moira's little trick. A seed to start what you see before you. Though, it came with a price. Even magic has perverted her, and things don't work like they should.”

He then disappeared and with him the cool air with him.

_Tick Tock_

Jack turned toward Ana. “I don’t even know where to begin looking.”

The manor lived up to its name. It was painted gold, with warm polished hardware floor under them. There was no dust to be seen, everything had its place. It looked more like no one lived there, that it was more of a place to throw money at. Expensive paintings and sculptures lined the walls and attempted to draw life into the room.

There was none to be drawn.

Somehow a house kept this pristine held no life. It was suffocating, not as much as the Void was, but still it felt as if no one had walked the halls or enjoyed the warm atmosphere that clearly was attempting to spill out. The simultaneous feeling of both loosing connection with the Void and being engulfed by it permeated over any other possible feeling.

“The heart of the manor,” Ana shrugged and sighed. “Guess that means we should sneak around until we find out what he meant, or we get a hint from the _other_ Outsider.”

“Do you even know which is which?” Jack asked as he started walking to explore deeper into the manor.

“Not really, I just know he was creepy and I didn’t like him too much.” Jack shrugged and started creeping along the walls. With the entire manor feeling off like it did, he couldn’t simply rely on the feeling of magic to lead him. The longer he was within the Manor, the more unsettled he felt.

After about 5 minutes of walking around, Jack stopped and put his hand on Ana’s shoulder to gain her attention. She stopped and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. They hadn’t seen another living being since entering the house. It seemed well lived in, and it was the wrong time for the residents to be off on vacation. Something was wrong.

“Can you see people with your powers?” Jack whispered. Ana considered for a moment and nodded. He let Ana do what she needed to do in order to answer his question, or rather implied suspicion. He watched as Ana frowned. “There’s one person moving, everyone else is frozen.”

“That’s Moira.” Ana nodded and started leading the way to the stairs.

The first step seemed to vibrate through Jack’s entire body. He was going the right way. The choice was breathing down his neck.

Was he ready?


	12. Chapter 12

If the air outside was stifling, inside was worse and it continued to get worse the further into the manor the two of them were. They had found themselves to what Jack would guess would be a study given the other rooms they had passed. Outside the door Ana and Jack were kneeling in front of was almost suffocating. It distinctly lacked the cool and suffocating yet flowing atmosphere that the Void had, but it was strikingly similar. It was literally harder to breathe, like it was too hot to breath, but the air was not too hot to be as stifling as it was.

Jack looked at Ana and moved to put his hand on her shoulder. “Hey, Ana whatever happens, I want you to know-“

“Jack, don’t.”

“Ana, I have to, it will make me feel a little better going into this.” Ana looked at him, her eye shining in the low light that was streaming through the window next to them. “If the worst comes to worse, Overwatch is yours. You’ve been my second command long enough. I trust you.” Ana put her hand over Jack’s and nodded.

“Let’s end this, whatever _this_ is.”

“If the Void goes, I don’t want to know what’ll happen to us,” Jack mumbled as he reached for his sword, twirling it in his hand. He stood up from his kneeling position and looked at Ana. “Ready?”

Ana sighed and pulled out her own sword, pulling her hood lower on her face. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” The words were accompanied with a sigh as she rolled her shoulder’s back, preparing for a fight, because everything they did seem to end in fights, especially since witches are involved.

Jack looked at Ana who nodded before kicking the door open.

A growl was heard and the two of them jumped to the side as two gravehounds attacked to them. Bile was felt in their throats as the canine corpses snarled and tried to rip the flesh from their bodies. Without his powers, Jack had to rely on pure instincts.

He danced as the dog pushed forward to bite at his abdomen. He took a swipe at it, dust and shadow came off of the body because of his blade. He turned and shot a bullet at the dog before stomping on it’s discarded skull. He turned toward Ana and saw her finish off her dog. They both turned toward the room and paused, both their jaws dropped in shock.

The room was round, there were chalk markings on the ground following the curves of the room, and in the center, was almost indescribable. It was as if the fabric of reality was tearing apart. A ghost stream of darkness was seeping through the ripple and into a tall slender woman’s hand.

Jack was the first to collect himself. He lowered his sword and took a single step forward. “Moira O’Deorian?” he asked slowly. The figure stopped absorbing what was flowing through the fissure and curled her hand into a lose fist and smiled darkly.

“Finally caught up with me Jack?” She asked before turning around and held her arms behind her back. “So sad you got all the way here, only to fall into a trap. A fitting end to the Knife of Dunwall, killed by what created him.” She snapped her fingers and cracking, snapping of wood was heard behind him. Jack and Ana tried to react, but plant-like beings moved to scoop them into their vines, effectively immobilizing them.

“What the fuck are you doing Moira?” Jack asked sharply, yelling as he struggled against the vines pressed against his body. Moira chuckled and smirked, her hair falling in front of her left eye.

“Power. Isn’t it obvious? The Void is the most mysterious, and powerful thing we know of, and the Outsider is the one who directs it. You’ve felt the power, as of I.”

“So you’re manipulating him?”

“No, I am replacing him.” She smiled and looked back at him. She walked over and cupped Jack’s chin, looking in his eyes. “Feel the energy here Jack.”

“Fuck you!” He snapped. Moira chuckled.

“You’re cute. I have already harnessed a lot of the Void’s power, a new Outsider will take the helm, this one less concerned about personal gain and more focused on one thing; Chaos. With it, and with it’s ties to me I will not only be immortal, but also the most powerful Void user in this reality. Reaper will be the beginning of it all.”  

Jack locked his jaw and fought the urge to spat in her face. Being captured like this, she could easily kill him. Making her angry was the last thing he wanted to do. So, he did what she said, he inhaled and felt the familiar stagnant energy that was the Void. He saw Moira’s eyebrow twitch as he turned his head toward the center of the circle, where the crack within reality was. She released his chin and looked at the hand that bore the mark.

Disembodied whispers circled around Jack, every now and again words that were familiar yet distant hit him and he was hit with a different emotion each time. Eventually the ever familiar “ _Jack”_ that rolled off the tongue of the Outsider his him. A burn was felt in his hand as a blinding light came out of it, burning the plant-being that was holding him. He fell to the floor.

_Jack!_

His body reacted on its own. Reality in his eyes was chipping away as it did when he visited a shrine, only the effects of the void were felt more gradually instead of the shock of being pulled in. The burning was white hot, clouding the sides of his vision.

“ _GET HIM!”_ Moira yelled. More cracking, snapping of twigs and vines caused him to stop. He turned his hand toward the sounds. His vision was still clouded as he took a stance. His sword had long sense been discarded as he was captured. He lifted his left hand, the mark burned brighter.

The ground rumbled and a wave of shadow shot passed him and all the bloodbriars, the plant beings, disintegrated, parts of sticks and twigs thrown everywhere. Dust filled the room, and everything was still. Jack stood with his chin up, slowly lowering his hand as small wisps of shadow radiated from the mark.

“Jack! Go! I’ll deal with Moira,” Ana called as she picked up a sword. Jack turned toward her, momentarily coming to his senses. Darkness coalesced around Moira, as her entire confident demeanor changed into one of anger and desperation. A shot from a gun echoed from Ana’s direction “Jack. The Void. Go!”

He nodded and turned toward the fissure. The closer he got the more the mark burned, the deafer the sounds of fighting were heard behind him, the colder it got. Reality was chipping away, breaking off blocks at a time until his feet touched the rock.

 Jack looked around the familiar gloomy grey sky that was the Void, looking around. The Outsider was normally there to greet him, but this time it was him and the Void, on an island where nothing else connected to where he stood.

Shifting rock was heard behind him. He turned and watched as a pathway opened in front of him. With one last look around to make sure this was his only path, Jack started walking down it. A worrying foreboding feeling overtaking him a little more with each step he took.


	13. Chapter 13

Ana pressed herself against an enemy, spinning her blade around in her hand and embedding it in its side pulling it out immediately. She used the crumbled over figure to jump up in the air and pull out a pistol from her coat. She landed on another tree being and stabbed it in the chest as she shot a hound, stepping on its skull after her dismount from the tree.

“It’s no use Moira, I have taken care of everything you’ve thrown at me. Give up,” Ana said dancing around a twig that shot out toward her, and immediately chopping it off.

Ana started a slow walk toward Moira, her cloak billowing around her as the eye the Outsider had gifted her gleamed in the light that was radiating off of the magic Moira was drawing from, letting her see her moves moments before she made them. This might be drawing a lot of energy from her, but if it meant it was buying Jack all the time he needed, she’d dance.  

Ana blinked as a wave of dark energy stuck the place she was previously standing. Moira gasped looking at the place Ana previously inhabited. The assassin smirked as she tilted her head. “Shocked?”

“The Outsider’s magic should be null.” Ana nodded and inspected the edge of her blade, buying a little time as she felt the arm draw power from the Void. Being in close proximity to a portal was proving to be beneficial to her. It was allowing her to draw more power from the source.

“They are. Jack had no powers from the second we stepped onto the grounds of the manor,” Ana explained as the shadows of void magic collected around the arm. “My powers aren’t from the Outsider, but the Void itself.” Both women looked at the portal, one in horror the over with a confident smile.

Moira reacted to this new information violently. She brought forth her magic and pulled into the Void. Darkness poured out of the Void portal, a hand – no claw – reached out and grabbed the edges and pulled themselves through.

The body of this new being seemed to be in an in-between of solid, and gaseous form. It appeared its body was made up entirely of void magic, like he was in-between blinks and his body hadn’t fully formed. Ana looked into its eyes and froze. Soulless black eyes, but these were different than the ones that gave her the arm and eye. His cheeks were hollowed, his skin had an ashen hue.

This wasn’t the Outsider, this was the Reaper.

The air around him seemed to darken as he slowly walked forward. Ana held onto her sword and crossed her arm over her body as a means of self-protection. This being was entirely made out of the Void, manipulated by witch’s magic. There was no telling how powerful it was.

The Reaper raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Moira as if he was asking permission on what to do, completely wrapped around her finger. She waved him off and crossed her arms. The Reaper smirked, smoke billowing out of his mouth.

Ana blinked as the being completely dissolved and lunged at her. She spun around and put her pistol away, figuring having more maneuverability to use the hand was more important. Ana looked at her hand and then without moving at her hand scanned the area for places she could disappear to.

A growl caught her attention as she reached her hand out, teleporting to ontop of a bookshelf, a doppelganger standing in her place. The Reaper wasn’t fooled for a second and immediately locked eyes with her, disappeared and forced her to jump off the shelf as the sound of breaking wood followed her as she lightly landed on her feet. She wasn’t able to see him with her eye. It was pointless to even try, especially now that he was between her and the Void. If she was drawing power from it, it stood to assume he was as well.

She spun around and braced her sword with a hand, catching the clawed hand in it as she was knocked down. The wind was completely knocked out of her. She used the downward momentum as she fell to kick Reaper off of her, completely rolling over on the floor and coughed a few times as she secured her footing and straightened.

She looked at the portal and looked at Reaper, running over to embed her blade into the wooden floor in front of her right on the chalk line and mess up the ritual. Ana yelled as she was pushed to the wall by an unseen gust of wind that smelled strangely like the ocean.

She was pinned to a wall, with literal shadow holding her in place. The Reaper slowly made his way to her, cackling with every step he took. Try as she might, she couldn’t break free, the powers that the Reaper held from the void was no match for her powers, she was stuck, and unless Jack pulled through in the Void, she was done.

Suddenly, everything stopped. Reaper turned toward the portal. The smirk fell off of his face and his chuckling stopped. Moira and Ana followed his eyes. Everyone held their breath and for a second nothing happened.

Then everything happened.

Darkness overtook Ana’s vision, before a cold gust of wind took over the room and seemingly took the breath from her chest. Noises were muted, the air was almost suffocating, as the salty sea air engulfed the room. The portal in the middle of the room was unstable, almost as if parts of it were trying to take over the manor or take parts of it. Reaper’s eyes widened as a piece of his body disintegrated.

“No!” Moira cried reaching toward her creation. Ana looked at her hand and pushed forward, pushing her hand where his heart would be and simply punched a hole into what could hardly be called a body. She kicked him off and watched him turn into nothingness. She then pushed herself forward, picking up her sword and threw it to pin Moira into the wall, saluted and blinked into the street, watching as the portal, the tear of reality became bigger before it shut causing a wave of wind and Void energy to pass through the entire city.

\---

“So, what happened here?” asked a very confident voice before a cloaked figure walked out of the shadows of the neighboring building. “You’ve been coming here every night ever since that weird energy wave came out of the Lacroix Manor and broke all of their windows. Come to think of it, O’Deoran has been quiet as well…”

Ana kept her gaze straight toward the room where Jack was last seen. It had been a week since the incident, and there had been no word on whether or not Jack made it. The room where everything happened in was completely torn up, papers and books were scattered everywhere. There were places where the wallpaper peeled up and the wood on the floors broke. There was water damage near where the portal was, probably an effect of the Void, but no Jack.

“Not one to talk, that’s fine.”

“Can you use magic to get into the Void?” Ana asked suddenly.

“Well, seeing as Moira used it to open the portal I am going to say ‘yes.’” Her voice was dripping in sarcasm as she spoke, her words not faltering even in the deadpan delivery that Ana was saying what she needed to. “But you saw what it did to her.”

It was nearing the time where Ana promised herself she’d go back to Dunwall and reveal to Overwatch that Jack Morrison had died, also break the news to Jesse and help the city rebuild. Losing an Emperor during a plague that was slowly killing off everyone in the city was the last thing Dunwall needed. Helping the Royal Guard, and the new Emperor himself was the least Ana could do, at least since her former boss was the one who slit the late Emperor’s throat.

“Sombra, now is not the time. I need to know if Jack is okay.”

There was a change in how Sombra held herself as she walked toward Ana and sat on the edge of the roof, following her gaze toward the towering Manor. She pressed her lips together as she tried to piece together what needed to be said.

“Look, I work mostly with information. I may be a witch, but I am more interested in how everything works. I have heard nothing of Jack since he stepped into that manor. Not even mentioning’s of the Knife of Dunwall. It’s as if he’s disappeared into the Void.”

Ana scoffed and shook her head as she stood up.

If she only knew.


	14. Chapter 14

The Void had its own way of communicating. It was in a way just as sentient as Jack, or even the Outsider. The Outsider, it seemed, only served to guide and channel the Void’s power. Jack couldn’t say if it had thoughts, or goals, more that it acted more like a window. To what, Jack couldn’t say. Without the company of the Outsider, the Void melded the environment of the islands to show Jack what his subconscious wanted to but could never get through to him.

The cold still air held no answers to questions that died on Jack’s tongue. He had no idea what was going to happen while he was here. His limbs and general body felt both heavy and weightless at the same time. This was the first time he was in the Void physically. Every other time it was more of his soul being pulled into this dimension.

A thin veil of shadows flew up in front of his eyes. Jack watched as piece by piece the mark on his hand floated into the overcast skies. He couldn’t tell what the loss of his mark meant. He didn’t feel any different, well no more different than he already did. The Void was already a mysterious place, and now that he was there physically. The entire atmosphere felt different somehow. Unless he had to, he wasn’t going to be blinking anywhere.

With everything going on, he couldn’t help but to feel like he should’ve told Ana goodbye. Whatever was at the end of the path he was walking, was going to be the answer to the decision he had to make. He wasn’t sure if he was going to return to her.

A small breeze passed through the path. He turned toward it and saw an island. It was his mother and him on the streets of Karnaca. In her hand was a small bottle and held a small glass vile. Jack immediately see that herbs and what combination they were in. Jack was seen in a crowd of faceless people around him, slowly reaching into someone’s pocket to make their wallets a little easier to carry.

He had a rough upbringing, it mostly due to his mother. She was a drug dealer specializing in hallucinogens and as they were enjoying their trip Jack would pick pockets. Jack turned to the edge of the scene and paused seeing a shady man in the mouth of the alley, watching with his eyes focused on Jack.

He turned and watched as a path opened up behind him, wrapping around to pass through alleyway. Jack looked around at the nothingness around him and started to follow the path into the scene that the Void had laid out in front of him.

_Hey kid, why don’t you come with me? We can be business partners._

Jack paused and looked at the figment of the man who took him from Karnaca. The man stood motionless, his expression blank like a statue. He didn’t move at all. Yet, the words echoed in his head as if they were spoken right in his ear. Jack slowly turned away and continued walking. The more steps he took, the more stale the air became, the darker the areas around him were. It was, as if he was being lead into the dark recesses of the Void, it was trying to show him something.

Dunwall opened up in front of him. He saw himself dressed in a ratty cloak. He was no longer a kid, he was a teenager. Jack stood out in the street like a sore thumb, but yet somehow no one seemed to mind him being there. He followed his younger self’s gaze and saw a noble he was hired to kill.

This man had a face as well. Antonio. Jack rubbed the back of his hand as the path continued to his right. He remembered this job more than any other. It was the job that gained him a lot of attention, from both planes of existence.

He followed the path and watched as he was in the final steps of killing Antonio, a streak of blood was seen frozen in air as Jack cut his throat. In the corner of the room, obscured by darkness was the Outsider, standing there with a smirk on his face, and his arms crossed.

Jack walked toward him and held out his hand, moving to gently caress the Outsider’s cheek.

The ground shook when he made contact with his cheek, the stone he was standing on shaking as the scene behind him fell into the abyss underneath him. Jack watched as it all disappeared into the clouds, looking back where the scene once stood and gasped.

A giant orb was in the place of the scene. Darkness engulfed something in the center. Underneath that there was an altar with various stone structures around it. That wasn’t important to Jack, he was more interested in the orb. He couldn’t see what, but what he did see was the shape of a man. The cool sea air turned turbulent as he the Void made it known that whatever _that_ was, it wasn’t welcomed.

On a whim Jack turned around. Another path laid out in front of him that forked 3 ways.

On the far left was a sword on top of what appeared to be an altar to the Outsider, only this one was bloody. A red velvet cloth was underneath the dark black sword that seemed to pulse with power. Jack slowly approached it and the words. _The Void_ _touches the minds of the dreaming and dying alike. And sometimes, dreams can only tell you what you wanted to forget._ The area around was cold, still, lifeless. Jack held his hand over the blade and an unknown energy was not unlike the rush of adrenaline he felt after a kill.

He turned around and took the center path of the fork. There was another altar, this one was neat, but the magic around it felt different, it felt off but not in a bad way. Jack looked at what was on the altar and found a box made of what he guessed was whale bone, and a few other herbs and some incantation written on a slip of parchment. _Tear a piece of your soul, and bind it to bone,_ a voice echoed in his head told him.

The third island of the fork held a portal. In it he saw Ana fighting. There were a few scraped and scratches, her hair was flying every which way, but she was holding her own. Jack felt a twinge to jump through to help her once she was knocked down, but his feet remained planted. _Leave now, and seal the fate of the Void._

Jack froze and turned around. The black mass behind him became a little transparent. In it, was the Outsider, suspended and unconscious. The energy was being pulled from the portal, Moira. He had to solve this from the inside, he had to get the Outside to fight, but how?

He turned to the other two islands, and then back at the Outsider; it was time to make a decision.

He walked down the path and stood between the first two paths of the fork. He turned back to the Outsider and then back at his choices.

He took a deep breath and took a step forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again thank you to Skellyking for the amazing art! We're almost done boys! 
> 
> If you want to see their art, again here's the link
> 
> [Boop.](http://skeleyking.tumblr.com/post/176963323499/heeeeeeyyyy-so-i-participated-in-the)


	15. Chapter 15

_Strange how there’s always a little more innocence left to lose. Isn’t it?_

_Four thousand years of living in this in between existence of life and death with nothing but the Void to keep you company. Sure the occasional visitor comes in and spices up the place a little bit, but like everything else compared to the cold lifeless life between the Void and the realms of the living and dead, it was only temporary. Soon, those you deem interesting whether it be their person or their potential to change history, all die and you have to find someone else to bear the Mark of the Outsider._

_Only, it’s not a simple mark to you is it, Gabriel Reyes?_

_The mark you give everyone is simply a writing of a language long since dead. A language no one will find written, all trace of the culture gone. Everything, but you. This mark, it is amusing to you really. All you need is someone to read it and you will be free._

_But…_

_You don’t want that do you?_

_This power. This existence, is how you’re getting revenge on what was done to you all that time ago._

_It honestly was only a matter of time before someone took advantage of your anger. Use it to weaponize you and create the being known as Reaper. What will happen next time?_

**_There won’t be a next time._ **

Everything came back all at once. The darkness that surrounded him immediately dissipated, the cold vacuum-like air of the Void hit him all at once. He gasped as the pull of gravity was felt. His arm immediately reached out and pulled himself to the ground safely.

Tendrils of darkness left him as he stood up and looked around. His shoulders slumped immediately recognizing the place in the Void he was in. He turned planning on simply slipping away to where he normally stood watching everything, but for one reason or another his gaze was pulled into the center of the platform.

He walked past the ever familiar pieces of rock that almost looked like people, the curves of a crumbling wall stood to his right. The Void was darker here than it was in other places. His footsteps were silent as he walked to the altar, two men stood over the stone slab, covered in a cloak stuck within the void as root-like trunks of darkness were frozen in their path toward the center of everything.

The Outsider paused as a cold feeling pressed itself into his gut, his entire body growing colder than it already was as he saw what awaited him. The altar had history with the Outsider, it was where he became who he was, the formations of men in robes were what he remembered of the men who tied him down, and slit his throat with a blade that was tied to the Void’s magic.

This area of the Void was saturated with magic, only a certain few have made it this far and were able to do anything with the Void. There was the feeling around him that the Void itself had assisted the visitor to get this far, even going as far as to help push him in a certain direction he was sure.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, focusing on trying to sense how this visitor was tied to the Void, if he should be worried that the same fate awaited him as it did to the Outsider himself.

“Fuck,” he whispered as he felt a second being tied to him, and by extension tied to the Void. “What the hell did you get yourself into Jack?” He looked at the blonde sleeping peacefully on the altar, his own dark tendrils moving around his body. The Outsider knew that the Void liked to have an ambassador of sorts, that is why he was there, but what did Jack have to do with this?

Questions rose quicker than he could think him, and before he could even get started on trying to figure out what had happened while he was out of it, Jack rolled over and curled onto his side. This stopped the downward spiral of questions for a moment as the Outsider smiled. “Jack, wake up buddy. You’ve slept enough,” the Ousider said sitting on the altar next to Jack’s knees.

Maybe Jack being bound to the void wasn’t such a bad thing. Out of all the humans he had watch grow up, have the rise and fall of their lives, using and abusing the powers he gifted for own personal gain Jack was one of the few that managed to be a favorite. He toyed with the idea of if they were alive and human at the same time they’d end up together.

That being said, he was all for indulging Jack Morrison.

The dreams that Jack thought were simply dreams, were sort of just that. The Void pulled Jack in, whether or not it was by the Outsider’s influence he’d never tell. It started as a game, playfully flirting once he was sure that Jack didn’t think that it was real, but merely a side effect of the mark, but once he flirted back it became more.

In hindsight Gabriel should’ve told Jack that he wasn’t dreaming, and he was in fact flirting with the god that was the Outsider, but he simply couldn’t bring himself to do it. He found himself reciprocating the feelings the human had, and here he was. He was given an opportunity to be with Jack for as long as they both were in the Void. He wasn’t going to throw that away.

Jack stirred a little more before opening his eyes and looked at Gabriel. Jack’s eyes were soft, matching Gabriel’s black eyes, as a small smile spread across his face. “Hey,” he said quietly, tilting his head to the side.

“Hey,” Gabriel responded just as quiet.

“What happened?” Jack sat up and rubbed his face. “I feel like I just ran into a wall full speed. My head hurts.”

“I’d expect that.” Gabriel took a deep breath and looked out into the Void. “You made quite the choice Jack.”

“What do you mean?”

“There are two ways people are bound to the Void at this level; death and magic. I was by a mixture of both. This is where everything happened. I was tied down as these people stood over me, slit my throat and I woke up here; scared and alone.” Jack looked up at the statue, his eyes widening recognizing the blade.

“Everyone is tied to the Void Jack, those who wear my mark have stronger ties. It is different for everyone. When those who have stronger ties here die, they come here until their soul moves on. Like I said, there are ways one can tie themselves here permanently…and I believe you found a way.”

“So, I am stuck here?”

“If you’re simply dead, not necessarily, if you just used magic, there are ways around it, if you used both…I can’t answer that because that’s how I am stuck here; and trust me if I could I would’ve moved on long ago.”

Jack nodded and looked at his hands. “I am…not sure what I chose, but…I guess I’m stuck here.”

“Welcome to the club.”

“Thanks Outsider.” Gabriel scoffed and patted Jack on the back.

“Jack you just walked into the Void and bound your soul to this…I can’t really call it a place, but I’m calling it a place. You gave up everything just for me, and whatever your reasoning was, I can tell you I would’ve told you it wasn’t worth all that you gave up. It’s Gabe.”

“Alright Gabe.” Gabriel stopped and looked at Jack, his face softening. Hearing his name hit him straight into the heart. He hasn’t heard his own name in over four thousand years, and just one utterance of it he was even more attracted to Jack than he already was. “You okay?”

Gabe blinked a few times and looked at his hands. “Yeah, totally fine.” Jack hummed.

“Now what?”

Gabriel stood up and held his hand out toward Jack. “Now, you have one more decision to make. Jack, will you accompany me into the Void?”

“Ya know, that almost sounds like a marriage proposal.” He reached up and took Gabriel’s hand. Acting on a whim, Gabriel pulled him to his feet and up close to him. Jack’s eyes were wide as he braced himself against Gabriel’s chest, his eyes quickly darting from his eyes to his lips as his cheeks darkened.

“I basically am. Those ‘dreams’ weren’t just dreams Jack.” His voice dipped down as he looked at Jack’s lips. “And if you recall I was very much into you as well.”

“No way.” They both leaned in.

“Way.” The exhale of Gabriel’s words mixed with Jack’s.

They met in the middle as both their physical forms dematerialized. The kiss was cool like the air around them. It was slow and full of meaning and emotion that both men had done their best to hide finally came out. It was the best feeling either of them had felt in years. Despite neither of them having a physical form at the moment as they traveled through the Void, Jack had never felt more alive, more aware of how another being felt against him.

The best part was, he could literally hold onto this feeling forever.

\---

“Ana, found a Rune for ya,” said Lucio tossing her the whalebone artifact. Ana effortlessly caught it and turned it over in her hand. She paused as the markings had changed, more carvings were added. She ran her hand over it and hilted her head to the side.

It had been years since Jack Morrison was seemingly erased from everyone’s memory. There were some days where Ana still thought she had simply imagined him and that she had always been the leader of Overwatch. Her involvement with killing the Emperor with her second in command, Reinhardt was what gave her the title of The Knife of Dunwall.

But there were some nights she woke up in the Void, nothing was seen or felt around her as she simply existed within the place that bridged the lives of the living, the dead, and the dreaming. The Outsider didn’t come to greet her, but she swore sometimes she saw the familiar blond hair of Jack Morrison off in the distance.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end. 
> 
> I want to point out that just because Jack woke up on the altar doesn't mean he chose the sword, how he is bound to the void is up to your interpretation. 
> 
> I am working on a side for Jesse and the Shimadas that's gonna take a while to write and post. 
> 
> Please if you haven't please check out the artists, their links are under this note. They did amazing with the art and really helped the editing process. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading.

**Author's Note:**

> I did it! I finished the big bang. I am gonna be posting a chapter once a day for the next 15 days with the art embedded as we go!  
> I'd like to thank SkeleyKing and Maxkiki for the art you'll see! 
> 
> I'd also like to thank my brother for helping me out. I haven't completed a dishonored game myself and so he helped me with the lore and stuff as I went. I know the games and the story, but he knows it so much more than me and between my two artists I made sure everyone could at least follow along with the story. 
> 
> If you want to follow me more, and see all my ramblings and stuff you can follow me on [ my art blog,](http://www.caliginous-arts.tumblr.com)
> 
> And please look at the artists!  
> [ Skeleyking](http://skeleyking.tumblr.com/post/176963323499/heeeeeeyyyy-so-i-participated-in-the)  
> [ Maxkiki](https://maxkiki.tumblr.com/post/176961972781/my-two-pieces-for-the-reaper76bigbang-with-the)


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